


Ahsoka's Journey: A New Life

by Phoenix0827



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Ahsoka Tano Lives, Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Ahsoka Tano-centric, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Has Issues, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Romance, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, Battle, Canon Rewrite, Character Death, Clone Wars, Coruscant (Star Wars), Developing Friendships, Eventual Romance, Exploration, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gray Jedi, Lightsaber Battles, Loss, Loss of Trust, Mandalore, Manipulative Sheev Palpatine, New Planets, Order 66, Original Character(s), Possessive Anakin Skywalker, Post-Order 66, Protective Ahsoka Tano, Romance, Survival, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25347184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix0827/pseuds/Phoenix0827
Summary: Betrayed! Ahsoka is cast out of the Jedi Order after being framed for a crime she did not commit. Upon finding her not guilty, the Jedi Council offered her a place back in the order, but to no avail. Her trust in the Order broken, Ahsoka turned down their offer, deciding to start again on her own. Now we find Ahsoka in the lower levels of Coruscant, trying to survive and create a new life for herself in this harsh and unforgiving world...This story is a redone version of the new Ahsoka arc in Star Wars the Clone Wars Season 7. Personally I didn't like the Martez sisters at all. The episodes were okay, but the new characters were a little bit annoying and the episodes did feel a little bit like filler which was a shame. Therefore, this fic will have a new series of events which will see the development of Ahsoka and her journeys from leaving the Order to the Siege of Mandalore.Ahsoka will form new friendships, fight new battles and learn how to survive without the comforts of the Jedi Temple.Mostly Ahsoka based plot, with some OC side characters, the Jedi Council and Palpatine.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Torrent Company, Ahsoka Tano/Original Character(s), Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon & Ahsoka Tano, Sheev Palpatine & Anakin Skywalker, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 56
Kudos: 82





	1. Looking for Work

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome!  
> I hope you enjoy my story, please let me know what you think of each chapter in the comments, I would be happy to hear your feedback. I do have a story in mind, which means that I have an idea of how I want this to end, so please don't ask me to add large, plot changing ideas to the story. If you don't like the direction it is going then simply stop reading, no one is forcing you to stay! :)
> 
> I understand original characters can be a big turn-off for some people unless they are well written. If you feel that you don't like the direction I am taking the original characters then let me know, I would be happy to discuss it with you. I don't really have a plan on how long this will be, but it will definitely be finished as I have an ending in mind, maybe about 20-40 chapters? If enough people enjoy this then I could make this a series, the next installment exploring Ahsoka's journeys post Revenge of the Sith.
> 
> I plan on updating this at least twice a week, but possibly more or less depending on circumstances at home etc. The rating might change accordingly for certain chapters as the story progresses. The first few chapters will be quite short as it will take a short while to build up to the action and main plot etc. All characters apart from my own are owned by Disney.
> 
> In this chapter, Ahsoka looks for work, the Council discuss their next move and Anakin speaks to Padmé.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE 07/02/2021 
> 
> Chapters 1-6 will be slowly updated to a better standard. Apologies for the terrible structure, it's something that I've improved on in the later chapters.
> 
> Don't worry if you come back and things have changed. The plot will remain the same, I'm just simply going to go through and add more spaces between speech that's all.
> 
> These changes will slowly be implemented as I'm having a hard time using AO3's formatting system.
> 
> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> Current progress (E= Edited and finished, N= Not yet edited)  
> 1-E  
> 2-E  
> 3-E  
> 4-E  
> 5-E  
> 6-E
> 
> Chapters 7-12 also need to be updated to a slightly newer format, but the speech is actually readable in those! Enjoy :)  
> 7-E  
> 8-E  
> 9-E  
> 10-N  
> 11-N  
> 12-N

** CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS **

Ahsoka aimlessly wandered the lower streets of Coruscant. She was homeless on the most densely populated planet in the galaxy. She had no credits, having spent what little she had on an air taxi to get her as far away from the temple as possible. It still hurt her to think about it, the temple had been her home and her family, but they had cast her aside the moment there was any suspicion against her, all to protect their already dwindling reputation. Not even Obi-Wan or Plo Koon had tried to help her, the latter instead hunting her down. The Council had lost their way, their code was flawed and their leaders too invested in the politics of the war. Anakin had never lost faith in her, neither had Padmé. Ahsoka considered going to her for help again, but she didn’t want to become a burden for her. Padmé had already risked her reputation in supporting her in her trial, and for that Ahsoka would be forever grateful.

“Hey, watch where you’re going _kid!”_ yelled a Quarren she seemed to have walked into whilst lost in her own thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“You should be more careful kid,” giving her a glare, “now get out of my way.” he muttered, pushing past her.

Ahsoka spun around, ready to say something back, but then a strong urge from the force caught her attention. She closed her eyes, attempting to locate the source, which was when she had a short vision. It was a small building, yet quite crowded and busy.

Many species were drinking and gambling, a small fight and a twi'lek dancer. Upon opening her eyes, she knew exactly what she had just envisioned.

“A bar,” she said quietly to herself, “worth a shot I guess.” It looked pretty rundown at first glance, an old sign above the door reading ‘Kandar’s Bar’ showed signs of wear, but considering she was on the lower levels of Coruscant she wasn’t expecting much else. “Perhaps I can get some work here”, Ahsoka thought to herself as she neared the door.

* * *

Kandar’s bar was just like her vision had shown her. It is busy, very busy. Usually she would be very cautious in places like this ever since losing her lightsaber, but now she didn’t have one to lose she could at least relax a little, She was still wary though, in these sort of bars there was always trouble to be found. Walking over to the bar, she took a seat and waited for the bartender, Kandar she presumed, to come over to her. At first glance, Kandar seemed nice enough, she received no warnings from the force. He was a tall Ithorian, a species that Ahsoka had run into numerous times as a jedi. Eventually he strolled over to her, “What can I get ya?” he asked. He sounded exhausted, but considering the amount of people in here Ahsoka wasn’t surprised.

“I’m looking for some work, got any leads?”

The Ithorian looked at her for a second, as if considering her request, “Hm, I might have a few jobs ya could do for me.” Ahsoka nodded at him, indicating to continue. “Well, my brother owns a small droid stall a few blocks away. If ya could deliver a holodisk to him I would be sure to pay you well.” Kandar stated, pulling the disk out of his pocket to show her.

“Definitely, how much are we talking?” she asked, picking up the disk and inspecting it as she spoke.

“500 credits should compensate for your time.”

Ahsoka looked at him, eyes wide with shock, _“500 credits?”_ she asked, hoping for a little more.

“I would say that is more than enough for a simple job like this. I’m afraid that’s all I’ve got for ya” he said looking down at her.

“Right...I guess I’ll do it, it’s just, I was hoping for something that would pay quite well. I’ve been out of work lately and need some credits to help get by.” she said, not giving away that she was once a jedi. Public opinion for the jedi was very low lately, and she didn’t see revealing anything about her past to be helpful right now.

“Thank you, the stall should be easy to find, but if you get lost just ask for Oren’s droid stall. One of the most well known droid sellers in the region, someone will know where to find it for ya.” Kandar stated, handing her the disk. “Once you’re done, come back here and I might have another job for ya. And your payment of course.”

Ahsoka nodded, taking the disk from him and standing up to leave. “What _exactly_ is on this disk?” she asked, looking at the Ithorian.

“Sensitive business information, nothing illegal, just important business plans.”

“Why is it sensitive?” Ahsoka asked, puzzled.

“Enough questions,” Kendar snarled, “I am paying you to deliver the disk, not start an investigation. Now if you don’t mind, I have a bar to run.”

Ahsoka gave him one last glance, then turned back towards the door, evermore curious about the contents of the holodisk.

* * *

** JEDI TEMPLE - COUNCIL CHAMBERS **

“I feel we have made a big mistake in letting Ahsoka go,” Obi-Wan “We abandoned her when she needed us most, she is too young to survive on her own.”

“That may be Obi-Wan, but we gave her the chance to come back to the Order.” came the response of Mace Windu.

“And do you blame her for turning it down, how could she trust us after all that happened? We put her on trial for a crime she didn’t commit!”

Mace opened his mouth to respond, but then Yoda interfered, “Clear it is, that we were in the wrong. Trust in Ahsoka’s abilities, we must. Learn from this, we shall”.

Obi-Wan frowned and slunk into his chair. Ahsoka was only 16, and now she was on her own in the depths of Coruscant. He was worried about her, but he also felt really guilty. The council hadn’t even apologized to her, instead claiming it was the will of the force. He had lost some respect for Windu after that statement, Obi-Wan was sure that was what turned her away from the order for good.

“Moving on, we have more _pressing matters_ to discuss,” Windu stated, “the Separatists have occupied Ringo Vinda, and it is critical that we send a strike force there to retake the planet.”

“I agree,” said Ki-Adi Mundi, “the station acted as an important communications facility and command center for our forces in the Mid Rim.”

“But do we have the forces to spare? Our forces are stretched thin as it is.” Sassae Tinn countered.

“Indeed, but we can’t let that station fall into Seperatist hands.” Mace Windu said, glancing at Yoda who spoke next.

“Agree I do, retake Ringo Vinda we must,” Yoda sighed, “Sense a great disturbance in the force I do, the dark side of the force clouds everything. Deception, I sense. Retake Ringo Vinda quickly, we must.”

“Generals Tiplee and Tiplar are already enroute to intercept the Separatists, but I do not believe they will have the forces and strength to take back the planet.” Kit Fisto stated, looking at Yoda, “Perhaps we could send in some troops to reinforce them?”

“But _who_ to send?” Mace Windu asked.

This time, Obi-Wan sat up, “Well, I know that Anakin and the 501st are currently on Coruscant, we could redeploy them to Ringo Vinda.” Obi-Wan stated, then frowning and looking at Mace and Yoda after thinking through what he had just suggested, “Although maybe now wouldn’t be a good time, he’s just lost Ahsoka and, well, you know how he can be.”

“Reckless and impulsive” Mace suggested, gaining a look from Obi-Wan and making the rest of the council somewhat uneasy.

“Perhaps there is another battalion we can send?” a holographic Plo Koon suggested.

“No,” said Yoda, “Go, Skywalker must. No other forces to spare there are.”

“Then I shall inform him immediately.” Obi-Wan stated.

“Very well then, this meeting is adjourned.” Mace said, holograms fading and members standing up to leave.

Obi-Wan remained seated, as did Yoda, sensing he had more to discuss with him. Windu was the last to leave, glancing back at both Yoda and Obi-Wan, then walking out with the door closing behind him.

“Something more you wish to discuss, hm?” Yoda asked, looking at Obi-Wan patiently.

“Yes Master. I worry about Anakin. I feel that this whole ordeal with Ahsoka has destroyed his trust in the council, something we were trying to avoid.” Yoda nodded, and so Obi-Wan continued, “Sending him on an assignment now is only going to make him more frustrated with the council.”

Yoda closed his eyes, sighed, then looked back up to Obi-Wan. “Understand your fears I do, but at war we are. Assignments, the rest of the council has, including yourself. No one else there is, trust in Skywalker we must.” said Yoda. He understood that sending Anakin on an assignment now is risky, but he was one of the most gifted knights in the order, not to mention the chosen one, so there was no other way around it. Logically he was the best choice for the mission.

“Then maybe we can send someone with him, someone he trusts.” Obi-Wan stated, “Maybe we could track down Ahsoka?”

“Made her choice she has, Obi-Wan, trust in Skywalker. A very talented Jedi he is, more than capable for the task, hm?”

“Very well, thank you Master.” Obi-Wan said, standing up and bowing as a sign of respect.

* * *

** PADME’S APARTMENT **

Anakin went straight to Padmé the moment Ahsoka had left. Padmé was one of the few people Anakin knew that he could trust, alongside Palpatine and Obi-Wan. Although, after the Rako Hardeen incident and now this, even Obi-Wan was starting to lose his trust. In his mind, the council were deceptive, arrogant and power hungry, especially Windu. They had neglected him ever since he had arrived on Coruscant with Qui-Gon all those years ago. Windu was the worst, he made it quite clear that he didn’t trust him. Anakin would even go as far to say he was jealous of his status as the ‘Chosen One’, a status he didn’t even want, rather one that was forced upon him and gave everyone high expectations of his abilities. He still didn’t fully understand what he was supposed to achieve as the Chosen One. The Father of Mortis claimed that he would bring balance to the force one day, although how he was still unsure.

“What’s wrong Ani?” Padmé spoke softly to him, bringing him a glass of water too.

He hadn’t told her what had happened yet, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Ahsoka and Padmé had become quite good friends over the few years they had known each other. He still couldn’t forget Ahsoka’s words, ‘I know’, did she know about his relationship with the senator? It was a question he would need to ask her if he ever saw her again.

“She’s gone.” He said bluntly, voice nearly breaking from the emotions he was feeling.

Padmé was a little confused, “Who’s gone?”.

“Ahsoka. She- she left the Order.” he managed, a few tears coming to his eyes.

Padmé simply sat next to him, cuddling him letting him know it would all be okay.

After a few minutes of silence had passed, Padmé decided to press him for more information. “Did the Council not welcome her back?” she asked.

“They did, but she refused. Not like I blame her, I would have done the exact same thing in her position. I can’t believe the Council, they didn’t even apologise to her!” he replied, becoming quite angry. Anakin usually struggled to keep his emotions in check, especially when it was regarding the Jedi Council and one of its members in particular.

“It’s _Windu’s_ fault,” he continued, “if he would've kept his mouth shut then Ahsoka might have stayed.”

“Anakin-”

“Not to mention Obi-Wan, he didn’t even try to stop them, it’s like he forgot everything they had been through together!”

“Anakin stop!” Padmé shouted, “Of course Obi-Wan cares about her. What more could he have done? I agree with you on the Council but Obi-Wan is your friend, he cares about you and Ahsoka deeply.” she finished softly. She didn’t like to shout at Anakin but sometimes he could get too carried away with his emotions and feelings.

“Now, tell me exactly what happened.” Padmé said softly, holding his hand in comfort as well as to urge him to talk. And so Anakin explained everything to her, leaving her deeply concerned for Ahsoka’s safety. She couldn’t believe that the Council would just let a teenager out into the streets with nothing. She had no credits, food or anywhere to live. But she trusted Ahsoka, knowing that if things got that bad she would definitely come to her.

The pair sat together watching the sunset on Coruscant, both worried for Ahsoka knowing that she would be on the streets, alone and in the night, which concerned Padmé so much that she insisted on searching for her. But they both knew their efforts would be futile. Coruscant, a planet wide city, is not the place you would want to go looking for someone. Anakin had faith in Ahsoka though. He knew she was resourceful and was more than capable of defending herself. He just wished that he had the opportunity to give Ahsoka her lightsabers back. He had the clones bring them to him once Ahsoka was captured, mainly because he wanted to return them to her once she came back to his side as a padawan, but also because he didn’t want them falling into the wrong hands. Despite her leaving now, he decided that he would hold onto the lightsabers, just in case.

Anakin was broken from his thoughts as his communicator began to beep. Pulling it from his utility belt, he was surprised he was being called by Obi-Wan. He looked at Padmé, who gestured to him to answer the call, then she got up and gave him some space. Anakin sighed, then answered the comlink.

“Anakin, are you there?” came Obi-Wans voice through the communicator.

“Yes Master, what is it?” he replied, somewhat irritated. He was planning on spending the night with Padmé tonight but he knew that if Obi-Wan was calling him this late, it was probably urgent.

“Anakin, I’m not sure how to put this, but the Council wants you redeployed with the 501st to Ringo Vinda, immediately.”

Anakin hesitated, “Immediately?”

“Yes, I have already contacted Captain Rex, he is readying the troops to depart, they will be ready to leave in one hour.”

“But-are there no other Jedi that could go, what about Master Plo or Mundi?”

“I’m sorry Anakin but their decision is final. Our forces are stretched far too thin as it is. You will be reinforcing Generals Tiplee and Tiplar, capturing the facility is of the utmost importance, it holds-”

“The command and communication center of the Mid Rim, I know. I will leave immediately Master” Anakin said, clearly frustrated.

“Thank you, Anakin.”

The call ended, and Anakin looked straight to Padmé who was outside on the balcony. Their eyes met, no words spoken as Anakin’s eyes explained it all. Guilt, frustration, but mostly sympathy. Anakin couldn’t wait for a time when the war was over, so he could spend more time with the woman he loved.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS**

Ahsoka was yet to find the market that she had been informed of. She expected the reputation of Kendar’s brother, Oren, to be somewhat exaggerated. She also didn’t like all the secrecy and did not want to be dragged into something larger than she expected. But, she needed the credits, and if it got her more work then she saw no reason not to do it.

It was getting late now, the busy streets of the lower levels were starting to die down, especially in this district. Most of the bars, or at least the more populated ones, were in a more densely populated region of Coruscant, leaving streets like this empty once the nightlife started to kick in. Honestly, Ahsoka enjoyed the silence. It gave her the opportunity to clear her head. So much had happened over the last few days, she was surprised she hadn’t had a full mental overload. Being framed for a murder she didn’t commit, abandoned by her only family, stripped of her status and sent to be trialed, and possibly executed despite only being 16. Not to mention being betrayed by one of her closest friends, Baris. It was all becoming too much for her, and she was actually somewhat grateful that she could escape from it all, the war and especially the politics. All she had known was warfare, and whilst it had made her into a fine warrior and battlefield tactician, she had never experienced what people would call a ‘normal life’.

Ahsoka then was snapped out of her thoughts, feeling a slight disturbance in the force. She was being followed. Subtly glancing behind her, she noticed that three figures were closely behind her, and her senses were screaming that they were hostile. She knew she could easily take them if they were thugs without blasters, and even if they did have blasters she was certain she could take them. What was clear though was that whatever was hidden on this disk, somebody else wanted it. Maybe she could ask for more credits for the trouble she was about to go through.

Ahsoka stopped walking, and turned around to the three figures behind her. They stepped closer to her, revealing them to be Weequay. They reminded her of the numerous times she had encountered Hondo and his pirates during the war.

“You have something we want,” the one in the middle stated, stepping forward, “so how’s about you give us the holodisk, and we won’t harm you.” The other two laughed, pulling out knives and pointing them at her. Ahsoka didn’t even acknowledge the knives and stood vigilant.

“What do you want with the disk?”

The thugs laughed, “I don’t see why that’s any concern of yours. Now hand it over.”

Ahsoka raised her fists, not intimidated. “Very well then, we’ll play it your way”

The lead thug pulled out a knife and rushed forward, lunging at her chest. Ahsoka easily evaded him, grabbing his arm and twisting it, forcing him to drop the knife and drop to the floor in pain. The other two tried their luck, but to no avail. Ahsoka effortlessly dodged their attacks, throwing in the occasional kick and punch to tire them out. Then, Ahsoka could press the offensive. In a flurry of kicks she knocked them both to the ground. By now, the lead thug had gotten up and he charged Ahsoka, knocking her to the ground. Attempting to knock her unconscious, the thug tried to hit her on the head. Ahsoka, being a skilled warrior, saw this coming early enough to move, letting the thug punch the ground with all the force he could gather. He screamed out in pain, and Ahsoka used this to her advantage, kicking him to the ground. She stared at the other two, who quickly saw they were outmatched and fled, leaving Ahsoka with the lead thug.

“Wha- what are you?” he gasped, out of breath and clearly in a lot of pain, “Some kind of- ugh- _bounty hunter?”_

“It’s like you said, it’s of no concern of yours. Now, you’re going to tell me exactly what is on this disk.”

“I won’t tell you anything! My employer will kill me!” he gasped, attempting to stand up. Ahsoka quickly pressed her foot on his back, forcing him back on the ground.

“Please- let me go, I don’t know anything. I swear!” he said, trying to get loose.

Ahsoka pressed her foot harder, but not enough to hurt him. “Okay, okay. I will tell you what little I know as long as you let me go.”

Ahsoka smiled, “I’m listening.”

“My boss wanted the disk, something about an important cargo delivery, very valuable to his contact.”

“But what would a simple merchant have that is highly valuable?” Ahsoka questioned, the situation not quite adding up in her head.

“I don’t know, I was just paid to get the disk, no questions asked, now please let me go.” the Weequay said, clearly getting frustrated. Ahsoka relented, releasing her hold upon him. The thug quickly got up and ran away.

The whole ordeal had Ahsoka asking herself lots of questions, but she had to keep moving to get the disk to Oren, who was probably waiting for her arrival and eager to close up his shop for the night. She found it with little stress, only being a 5 minute walk from where she was ambushed. Oren looked very similar to his brother, except he wasn’t as tall. His stall was fairly big, but she was right about his reputation being exaggerated. The droids that were on display were mostly damaged and probably weren’t functional in any way. Sure the stall itself looked like it was better maintained than the bar she had been in earlier, but it was clear that business wasn’t exactly booming here.

“How can I help you?” the Ithorian asked as Ahsoka approached the stall, he was already starting to pack up for the night, and so Ahsoka guessed that she had gotten here just in time.

“I have something for you, a holodisk,” Ahsoka exclaimed, taking the disk from her utility belt and showing it to the Ithorian, “I presume this was worth all of the trouble in getting this to you?” she questioned, probing him for more information about the disk.

“Trouble? What do you mean trouble?”

“Thugs, three of them, they ambushed me just a few streets away from here.”

“Oh, I see. They must be after the information inside.” he stated simply, taking the disk from Ahsoka as she handed it to him. “My brother and I are ordering a large amount of parts to set up our new business. We’re transforming his bar into a workhouse so we can manufacture our own speeder bikes.”

“ _Speeder parts,_ huh?” Ahsoka asked, somewhat disappointed but not entirely sold, she knew thugs wouldn’t be interested in speeder parts. He was hiding something, but she decided to play along with it for now.

“Yes, speeder parts. Anyhow it is getting late, here’s some credits, get yourself a taxi to wherever you need to be. You deserve it.” the Ithorian said, “Oh, and make sure to check back with my brother to get your payment, I will let him know you called by with the disk.” And then he continued to pack away his equipment, leaving Ahsoka ever more curious of what the mysterious cargo was, as she knew for sure that it wasn’t speeder parts. The credits were a generous gift though, but she decided she would save them and walk back rather than waste them on an air taxi. What she did know was that she was tired and hungry, and she hoped that ‘Kendar’s Bar’ at least had some lodgings she could rent for the night. Ahsoka continued with her own train of thought as she wandered back down the street, still wondering what the Ithorian could be covering up, if he was even covering anything up at all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! The next few are going to be quite dialog based but we will soon get to some action if you stay with it!
> 
> This story is going to take place quite a bit before season 7, so it might be quite a long story depending on how much I decide to write. It literally takes place moments after Ahsoka leaves the order.
> 
> I am also following the 'Ultimate SWCW episode order'. For those who know the show well, you will know that the episodes are not in the correct chronological order. This is why some of the events might seem like they shouldn't have happened yet. If you get confused about the order of episodes, please check the list at the link here: https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/35ex94/the_clone_wars_ultimate_episode_order/
> 
> Please leave any feedback in the comments, thank you! :)


	2. A New Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka is offered a job, Anakin and Rex prepare to leave Coruscant and Palpatine senses a disturbance in the force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, just a short chapter here to follow on from what happened in the introduction, as some of the plot points needed refining and a little more development. Hope you enjoy it!

**CORUSCANT - KENDAR’S BAR**

The walk back to the bar had been uneventful, just like Ahsoka had hoped. She was tired, and not to mention starving. She hadn’t had any time to rest yet, being on the run for several days didn’t help in any way. She was exhausted to say the least. Upon entering, she walked straight over to Kendar. To her surprise, the bar wasn’t actually that busy, only a few people scattered around drinking.

“Ah, there ya are. I was wondering when ya would come back.” Kendar said, nodding to her in greeting.

“I delivered your disk, some thugs jumped me on the way but I dealt with them.” Kendar looked surprised, “I think it’s only fair that you tell me what information was on there that was so _obviously_ important.”

Kendar gave her a slight glare, but then relaxed, “It was my brother’s idea. Oren wants to set up a new speeder business, not that I agree with it exactly.”

Ahsoka took a seat at the bar, “So what did the thugs want then?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” the Ithorian poured Ahsoka a drink, passing it to her. She nodded as thanks. “My brother would never do anything illegal, he has always lived a simple life. Perhaps the thugs wanted to steal the speeder parts?” he suggested.

Ahsoka wasn’t convinced. She knew the contents on the disk thanks to Oren, a delivery of ‘speeder parts’, but she was hoping that she might have been able to get a little more information from his brother. Something wasn’t adding up, what would common criminals want with speeder parts. She sensed no deception from Kendar, so it was likely he was being honest, and was simply as clueless as she was.

“Anyway, I can’t thank ya enough for safely delivering the disk for me,” he continued, “I have decided to double yer payment for the trouble ya went through, as well as offer ya some more work, if ya’d like it?” he stated, handing her 1000 credits.  
Ahsoka smiled, appreciating the extra credits. Maybe she would actually be able to afford to rent some place out now.

“Thank you, what exactly did you have in mind?” she asked, taking the credits from Kendar.

“Ya can help out in the bar if ya’d like? I can’t pay ya much, business is quite dry down here, but ya can stay in one of the rooms upstairs whilst ya work here.” he offered, looking at Ahsoka.

She was more than happy to accept. She now not only had a source of income, even if it was way below the Galactic average, but she also had somewhere to rest safely.

“Thank you, I would be happy to help out.” Ahsoka said, smiling at the Ithorian.

“Very well, come this way, I will show ya to yer room.”

Ahsoka’s new lodgings weren’t exactly luxurious. It was a small, cramped space, with only two rooms. The biggest room contained an old bed that was long past its age, as well as a tiny kitchen area with a small table and two chairs. The other room was the refresher, which was as equally run down as the rest of the building. Both rooms were a little damp. This mattered little to Ahsoka though, and the rooms were actually much bigger than her old, bleak quarters in the Jedi Temple, which was definitely one of the things she did not miss. Luckily there was some food already stored, just some simple soup, but when compared to the military rations she was so used to it tasted like heaven, despite it being cheap. Once she had finished her soup, Ahsoka took a short shower in the tiny refresher. She relished the warmth of the water, it felt soothing against her montrals and instantly made her feel more relaxed. Afterwards, Ahsoka was more than ready to call it a night, and prepared to go to sleep feeling eager for her first day at work in the morning.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - ANAKIN’S FLAGSHIP - COMMAND BRIDGE**

“General Skywalker, all crew is accounted for, we are ready to depart on your order.” came the stern voice of Admiral Yularen.

“Give the order Admiral, ready the fleet and have them set a course for Ringo Vinda.” The Admiral nodded, leaving Anakin at the holotable to make the necessary arrangements. He was closely studying the map of Ringo Vinda with the intel they had received from Generals Tiplee and Tiplar before they had engaged the Separatists on the planet wide station. They had received no communications since, which worried Anakin, as they could well be walking into a trap. The Separatists were holding the planet with an iron fist, and Anakin knew that this was not going to be an easy fight.

“Sir, I thought I would help you with the battle strategy.” came the voice of Captain Rex who had just emerged from the door behind him. Rex was a good soldier and had become good friends with his General. Anakin trusted him with his own life, and he was sure that Rex felt the same.

“It’s not going to be an easy one Rex, the Seppies have a strong hold on the planet. The blockade will be hard to breach, I can’t imagine the staton will be any easier.” Anakin replied, glancing at Rex as he stood beside him. He looked tired. Neither of them had slept well after the Ahsoka incident. Anakin was missing her enthusiasm now, usually the three of them would plan these battles together, often Ahsoka would bring their spirits up.

“Any word from Masters Tiplee or Tiplar?” Rex asked, analysing the map before him, scanning for any weakness in the droid defences that could be exploited.

“We haven’t heard anything since they intercepted the droid fleet. With the droids under control of the communications center, they are probably jamming any transmissions from the system.”

“So we might have no way to contact for support if we need it?” Rex asked, looking at Anakin, the latter of which was frowning. How could the council have overlooked such an important factor? They were going in alone and with no guarantee of further support.

“With that in mind, we should make our primary target the communications and command center.” Anakin said, looking at the closest hangar on the holotable and pointing to it. “If we can secure that hangar, we have a way to re-supply our forces and evacuate if we need to.”

“I agree, General, I think that’s the best call.” Rex then looked down, letting out a slight sigh. “Though we should prepare for a tough resistance, I doubt the clankers would let us take the command center easily.”

Anakin looked at Rex, sensing the sadness within him. He knew Rex too well, knowing he wouldn’t bring up any personal concerns he had unless asked about it.

“Is everything okay, Rex?” he asked, holding his shoulder as a sign of comfort.

“Yeah, I- I just wish Commander Tano was still here with us, it’s not the same without her” Rex replied, voice breaking slightly. The two had become good friends over the war and always looked out for each other, building a trust that was becoming more common amongst the Clones and their Jedi Generals.

“I know Rex, I still can’t believe it either,” taking his hand off of Rex’s shoulder and tensing it into a fist, “I just can’t believe the _Council_. They gave up on her when she needed them most.”

Rex considered this for a moment, then asked “Did they not offer her a place back afterwards?”

Anakin sighed, realising the more he explained the Council’s actions, the more frustrated he was with their antics. “They had their own way of _‘apologising’._ Windu claimed it was the _will of the force_ and her great trial, why he couldn’t just accept they were wrong is beyond me.”

Rex gave Anakin a sympathetic look, knowing that the Council would often make bad choices and even lie to him. They didn’t exactly treat him as though he was one of their own, rather more like an outsider of some kind. “Well, just so you know, me and the boys never lost faith in her.”

“I know Rex, and I appreciate that, I just hope that you can tell her yourself one day.”

The Venator began to leave the shipyard, alongside a few other ships, all set for Ringo Vinda. Anakin was lucky to even be granted a fleet, as the war had put a great strain on the Republic’s navy. It gave him a little bit of hope that he would at least have a fighting chance, perhaps he would actually survive this battle, although the odds certainly weren’t in his favour. His thoughts went to his wife, Padmé, who he thought he would at least be spending the next few nights with. Anakin couldn’t remember the last time he was granted a break from the war, his forces constantly being deployed to various battlefronts. It only further increased his frustration with the Jedi Council.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR PALPATINE’S OFFICE**

Palpatine stood by the window in his office, watching the late cityscape of Coruscant intently. He felt a slight disturbance in the force, and it felt strangely familiar to him. “Ahsoka Tano”, he muttered quietly to himself, frowning. What threat did she pose to his master plan, he wasn’t yet sure, but he didn’t like it. He felt the sheer despair in Anakin shortly after the trial, so he presumed that she had not rejoined the order. Smiling to himself, Palpatine knew that this would only worsen Anakin’s faith in the order, making him even easier to bring to the dark side. But now, this pitiful little padawan was a loose end he needed to remove, and quickly. Whilst ever she lived, there was a chance that Anakin would be persuaded to stay loyal to the order. The thought of that made him feel sick, he couldn’t believe that such talent and raw power was being wasted with the Jedi. But, he would be patient, for now. One mistake would ruin years of work, he needed to plan his next move carefully.

Palpatine was brought out of his thoughts when someone requested to enter his office. Walking over to his desk, he sat down and pressed the communicator. “Enter.” he spoke clearly, despite not being too happy about being interrupted this late, it was now that he would usually consider where to take the war next as he continued to orchestrate the entire conflict.

The doors to the office opened, and Padmé swiftly walked in. “Ah, Senator Amidala, what a pleasant surprise.” Palpatine spoke kindly, giving Padmé a smile.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, Chancellor, but I needed to speak to you privately.”

“Of course my dear, how can I be of help?” he motioned for her to sit down at one of the many seats opposite his desk, to which she obliged.

“I was wondering if you could speak with the Jedi Council, I worry that they are pushing their members too greatly.”

Palpatine raised an eyebrow, nodding as an indication for her to continue, “They have sent Master Skywalker on an assignment almost immediately after losing his Padawan, someone very close to him. I fear that they are not giving him enough time to recover.”

“Hm, I see.” Palpatine looked at her, “And how, if you wouldn’t mind me asking, would you know of this?” he probed.

Padmé looked a little flustered for a short moment, but then was able to calm herself, a talent of a good politician. Although it didn’t go unnoticed by Palpatine.

“I have known Anakin a long time, we have become quite good friends.” She said, hoping that would be the end of that part of the conversation. It was hard for her to keep their relationship a secret, although she felt she could open up to the Chancellor a little, knowing that both himself and Anakin trusted one another greatly.

Palpatine considered her response for a moment, then said “I understand that, I too trust Anakin and would not want anything to harm him. He has become quite a good friend to me too. Unfortunately though, my dear, we are at war, and so I am sure the Jedi Council will have made the correct decision.” Palpatine gave her another reassuring smile, but she didn’t look satisfied. “I would be happy to speak to the Council on your behalf if that would help to settle your mind? I will arrange a meeting for tomorrow morning.”

Padmé smiled, “Thank you Chancellor, I appreciate your support.” she said as she stood up, bowing slightly as a sign of respect. Palpatine reciprocated, and then walked her back to the door, somewhat happy with this news. He doubted Anakin would be happy with the Council after this assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, Palpy has already sensed a disturbance due to Ahsoka. Perhaps she will start becoming too curious for her own good, who knows?? :)  
> I'm unsure if I should write this so that it fits in with the canon, or if I should experiment a little and add Ahsoka to a few of the season 6 episodes. I think it would make for an interesting story, but would lead to a different scenario at the Siege of Manadalore. Let me know what you think.
> 
> A few things, firstly, I decided to keep this one quite short as it mainly follows on from the introduction. I just wanted to develop the story a little more.  
> I wasn't sure what Anakin's venator was called, as I know that the 'Resolute' was destroyed at the Battle of Sullust if that's correct? Looking on the internet all I could find was 'Anakin's flagship', so I just left it at that. Let me know if you know the name of the venator, I will happily change it.  
> I hope I wrote Palpatine okay, I like how he switches from the evil sith to the kind old man, he's quite fun to write actually! As for the other characters, I am trying my best to write them in character, especially Ahsoka. Hopefully when we get more dialog from her I can develop that further.
> 
> Sorry for the long end notes, please let me know if there are any spelling mistakes etc, I will be happy to change them to make the reading experience as natural and pleasant as possible! Thanks for reading. :)


	3. Deception and Mistrust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka has her first day at work and she makes a new friend. Palpatine addresses the Jedi Council, Mace and Obi-Wan have a short stand-off and Oren talks to his contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rather short chapter here. This one is all dialog, no action. Hope you enjoy! :)

**CORUSCANT - KENDAR’S BAR**

Ahsoka slowly started to realise just how boring it was working in a bar as a waitress. It was nothing like the adrenaline rush she was so used to when fighting alongside the Clones in battle. She also didn’t like the disrespect she would receive from a lot of the customers. Some had even tried to make advances on her, which she quickly dismissed. She may not be a Jedi anymore, but she still found it hard moving on from the code that had been drilled into her since she was taken to the temple. She especially didn’t want to associate with drunkards in the lower levels of Coruscant!

She started to think more about the Jedi Code. It felt so wrong to her now, taking children from their families to train them to be emotionless warriors. She quickly dismissed the thoughts, taking a seat at the bar. The last thing that she wanted to think about right now was the Jedi Order. Feeling tired and somewhat bored, Ahsoka rested her head in her hands as she stared into nothingness. Despite it being fairly early in the day, a surprising number of people had come to the bar for drinks or food, meaning she hadn’t really had a minute to sit down. She wondered if it was always this busy here. She noticed Kendar was working hard in the kitchen, a service droid taking his place at the bar counter. She considered asking if he needed any help, but she was no chef and would probably make it more stressful for the Ithorian.

Ahsoka was drawn out of her thoughts as she sensed someone sitting on the seat next to her.

“Hey, can I get you a drink?”

Ahsoka turned her head, looking at the Human male who was looking at her expectantly. Ahsoka sighed slightly, rolling her eyes. ‘No doubt an attempt to pursue me, wouldn’t be the first time tonight.’ she thought to herself, breaking a small smile. Against her better judgement, she decided to accept his offer, she was thirsty after all, and he didn’t look like the others, by that he wasn’t intoxicated.

“Sure, thank you. Nothing too strong though, I’m still on shift.” she replied simply, giving him a smile, then looking back at the wall in front of her.

“Of course, droid, two drinks please.” he looked at the service droid at the counter, giving it a handful of credits. He then turned back to Ahsoka, offering his hand and giving her a broad smile. “I’m Jacen, Jacen Farani.”

Ahsoka turned to his hand, looking at it for a few seconds and hesitating slightly, then grasping it with a firm shake.

“Ahsoka Tano.” she said quietly, nodding at him. He turned back to the droid to receive the drinks and Ahsoka continued to study him, a little curious.

At first glance, Jacen looked to be around her age, maybe a few years older. He had dark brown eyes, hair a similar shade of brown, it was quite messy and reminded her of Anakin’s hair a little. She smiled at the thought. He wore simple clothes that fit his body well, nothing too extravagant but not cheap either. He was in good physical shape, just like herself, and was almost about a head taller than her. She didn’t sense anything about him that concerned her, he just seemed like a fairly nice guy. Ahsoka kind of wanted to be left alone to her thoughts, but she decided that maybe making a few friends along the way wouldn’t be a bad idea.

He turned back towards her with the drinks, looking straight into her eyes. Ahsoka looked away, blushing slightly for some reason. She wasn’t exactly used to speaking to people when it wasn’t related to Jedi business, all she knew from being young was warfare and therefore she was slightly lacking when it came to courtesy and social skills. Her trial had practically destroyed her trust in anyone which didn’t help either.

“So, how long have you been working here? Don’t think I’ve seen you before.” he started, passing her a drink to which she accepted with a smile.

“Only recently, I’ve been- well, out of work lately. Kendar was kind enough to offer me some work and lodgings. It’s not much but it helps me to get by.”

“Where did you used to work?” he asked, taking a slight sip of his drink.

Ahsoka looked away briefly, a little surprised. She didn’t really want to talk about being a Jedi. She masked this by taking a drink, giving her some time to think.

“Well, mostly just working for myself, doing the odd repair on speeders and starfighters.” Ahsoka finally replied after having a short drink, shooting him a smile and hoping he would be convinced. Luckily, it seemed he was.

“Interesting, so I guess you know your way around a starship then?” he asked.

“You could say that.”

Jacen gave her a smile, then looked back to his drink, which Ahsoka reciprocated.

“What about you then?” Ahsoka asked, suddenly, looking back at him.

He turned and gave her another smile, “Nothing too interesting, just a simple merchant making my way around the galaxy.” he then looked away again, “I’ve been on Coruscant for a while now, I quite like it here.”

“It certainly is a sight to behold.” Ahsoka replied. She had once believed Coruscant to be an amazing planet, especially with the Jedi Temple towering above the skyscrapers offering a vast sense of security. But now she was no longer a Jedi, and having spent a short while in the lower levels, Coruscant certainly wasn’t the ‘Jewel of the Galaxy’ like she had once believed.

Silence fell between the two for a few moments as they both enjoyed their drinks. Eventually, Jacen spoke up again, “Anyway, it was great chatting with you Ahsoka, but I don’t want to keep you for much longer if you have work to do.” he said as he finished his drink, standing up, “Maybe we can talk again sometime?”

Ahsoka locked eyes with him, holding contact this time, “Sure, I would like that.”

She knew that good friends were hard to come by, and she didn’t exactly have any at the moment.

“Great, I usually call by Kendar’s most days, so until then?” Jacen said, offering his hand again. This time she took it without any hesitation, giving it a quick shake. He then nodded to her and turned to leave.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - JEDI TEMPLE - COUNCIL CHAMBERS**

“My friends, thank you for receiving me.” came the elderly yet kind voice of the holographic Chancellor in the center of the room. The chambers were quite empty today, with the only members actually there in person being Yoda and Windu. The rest of the Council were on assignments, with only a few of the members present through hologram. “I was hoping you could update me on your progress in the war.”

“Of course, Chancellor.” Yoda replied, whilst Mace stared at the Chancellor’s hologram, scowling slightly. It was no secret that Mace did not trust the Chancellor, especially when he tried to interfere in Jedi affairs. However, with the Chancellor as the head of the Republic military, it was important that everything was reported to him.

“We have sent Knight Skywalker to reinforce our strike team at Ringo Vinda,” Mace spoke up, “but we have yet to hear of any progress yet. It is possible that their communications are being blocked.”

Palpatine considered this, “What if General Skywalker needs assistance?” he asked softly, looking at Mace.

“Well, even if we could receive a transmission, we don’t have any forces to spare. Our troops are spread thin as it is, sending any more forces would put other planets at risk.”

Palpatine nodded, “Of course, Master Jedi, I will leave the strategic planning to you. Be sure to not push your members too greatly, especially young Skywalker. Without the Jedi, I fear how we would fare in this war.”

“Only take necessary risks, we will. A fine warrior Skywalker has become, more than capable for the task, he is.” Yoda stated, bowing to Palpatine as the hologram closed off.

Obi-Wan, one of the holographic members present, lightly coughed to get the attention of the Council. “If I may suggest, perhaps the Chancellor is right. Maybe we are pushing Anakin too much.”

This resulted in a glare from Mace, who clearly didn’t agree.

“If he is the _Chosen One_ , then he should be more than up for the challenges ahead of him.” Ki-Adi Mundi spoke, “It is said that he will destroy the Sith and bring balance to the force.”

“He has proven himself on many occasions, I have faith in him” Plo Koon said, earning a nod from Obi-Wan who clearly appreciated his words.

Mace sighed, “I don’t trust him, I don’t think he can handle the pressure.” he then looked at Yoda, “He is too close to the Chancellor for my liking.”

Yoda frowned, as he closed his eyes and concentrated deeply “Hmm, surrounded by the dark side, the Senate is. Watch Skywalker carefully, we must.”

“Let us not forget what Dooku told me on Geonosis.” Obi-Wan said looking around at his fellow Jedi, “If the Senate is under the control of Sidious, the entire war could be under his influence.”

 _“That’s preposterous!”_ Ki-Adi Mundi almost shouted, “What you are suggesting is impossible, we would have sensed it.”

“Clouded our vision, the dark side has. Possible, it is, that Sidious is influencing the war.” Yoda spoke to Ki-Adi, who still did not look convinced.

“I for one agree with Master Mundi. We would have sensed such deception. But we must keep a closer eye on Palpatine, he is gaining more power within the Senate as this war continues.”

“Agree, with that, I do.” Yoda stated.

“Perhaps we should try to limit Skywalker’s influence with the Chancellor?” Mace then suggested, earning a sigh from Obi-Wan.

“I hardly think that would be a good idea. He is already frustrated enough with the Council after Ahsoka’s trial. Use of such limitations will only anger him further.” Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard as he spoke.

“All the more reason for us to not trust him. Anger is not the way of the Jedi, and his lack of patience will severely limit his judgement.” said Mace, who was once again glaring slightly at Obi-Wan. It was quite tense following this, as no one really knew what to add to the meeting without starting a debate about Anakin’s actions.

“A wrong decision we made regarding Ahsoka, but learn from it we must. If the Chosen One, Skywalker is, trust in him, we must.”

Silence then returned in the room for a few moments, each member clearly having their own opinion on the matter, but unwilling to continue this further.

“Then I don’t think we have anything further to discuss here, this meeting is adjourned.” said Mace, as he stood up, giving Obi-Wan one last look. It was clear that his mistrust for Anakin was only growing.

Afterwards, Yoda returned to his meditation chamber. Something wasn’t adding up for him. Sitting down to meditate, Yoda started to consider what Obi-Wan had suggested in the meeting. It was possible that the Chancellor was being influenced by Sidious, which would mean that the entire Republic could be at risk. But without any evidence, it was important that this was kept as a secret of the Jedi for now. The people loved Palpatine. In their eyes, he was a hero. He has given the Republic a fighting chance against the droid armies, and his attitude has inspired many to not lose hope. On the other hand, public opinion for the Jedi was falling, and blame was starting to be placed on them. Some even believed that the Jedi started the war when they arrived on Geonosis.

This then brought Yoda to think about Ahsoka’s trial, and how they were betrayed by one of their promising students, Barriss Offee. It was clear to Yoda that the Jedi were starting to lose their way, and in more ways than one he actually agreed with Barriss, as the Jedi were becoming more involved in the politics of the war, even the members of the Council having their own beliefs and ideologies. They had gone from peacekeepers to military generals in a war that was slowly consuming them. But without any evidence, all Yoda could do was trust in the force, and hope that the Chancellor was on the side of the Republic.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - KENDAR’S BAR - AHSOKA’S ROOM**

It had been a tiring day for Ahsoka. She was correct in believing that the bar would only get busier as time went on. All sorts of characters had started coming in. Luckily though, her shift ended just before it started to get too rowdy, but she was already starting to get a little frustrated with her new work. It was too predictable, with each hour being the same. Taking drinks to tables, cleaning surfaces and managing the bar. She was once a respected Jedi, and now she was cleaning tables, a thought that only frustrated her further. She already missed the action of the battlefield, and she knew that it would take a while for her to adjust to this new lifestyle. Part of her hoped she wouldn't have to. All she needed were a fair few more credits and she could buy herself a ship. Then she would be able to do anything, whether it be traveling the galaxy or moving to an entirely new planet. Coruscant was okay, but Ahsoka knew she would prefer somewhere like Naboo, or even her home planet of Shili.

She thought back to the earlier hours of her shift when she had met Jacen. It was nice to actually talk to someone on a more personal level. She hadn’t had that since she had left the Order. Maybe she could go to him for work, they could start their own business together. Ahsoka shook her head, dismissing such thoughts. She hardly knew him, but part of her was still open to the idea if she became that desperate for work.

The bar would probably be closing soon to accommodate the new business plan, a speeder store. Ahsoka needed to prepare herself for what would happen to her then, as there was no guarantee that she would even have a job. Sure, she knew how to fix speeders, she had said as much to Jacen. But whether Kendar and Oren would even need her services was an entirely different matter, and she had the idea that they probably wouldn’t need her tagging along. Luckily she had been paid today, around 800 credits, which wasn’t bad considering she was technically renting out a room as part of her wage. It was enough to buy some more food from the local store. She was being careful with her credits, as she knew that she would need them to survive if things took a turn for the worst.

Preparing a simple soup and sitting down at the small table in her room, she started to think about Anakin. She missed him, as well as the entire 501st. She wondered what mission the Council had probably sent him on now, as he often complained about their antics. But more importantly, she wondered what would have happened had she stayed in the order. Would she still be fighting by his side as a Padawan, or would she have been given a Knighthood by the Council. She could only speculate whilst she ate, as that life was far behind her now.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - OREN’S DROID STALL**

It was late, and Oren had already packed up his stall for the night. After a pretty unsuccessful day, he could only think about how important it was that his new plan was a success. He needed credits, he was getting into some bad debts financially, which was why he was willing to go to any lengths to protect himself and his brother.

Oren’s comlink then began to flash, and he prepared himself for the call. Pulling the communicator from his belt, he answered the call.

“I assume that the cargo is enroute, as planned.” came an old voice from the shrouded figure.

“Yes, my Lord, the cargo will be here in a few rotations.”

“Good. You have done well. Have the cargo dropped off at a secluded dock, then transport the contents to these coordinates.”

Oren glanced at the said coordinates that had been sent to his datapad on the stall counter, “The Senate building?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, my contact there will take the cargo and give you your reward.”

Oren, still confused at why the cargo was being dropped off at the Senate, bowed his head slightly. “Of course, it will be done.”

The call didn’t end however, as it was clear to the figure that something was on his mind. “Is there anything you wish to add?” the figure probed.

Oren looked down, “The data was delivered to me by a young Togruta girl, she fought off some thugs who must know about the cargo, I thought you should know.”

The figure remained quiet for a moment, as if considering what to say next. “Very interesting. I am already aware of the Togruta and I will see to it that she doesn’t interfere with my plans.”

“Is she a threat?” Oren inquired.

“Perhaps, but perhaps not. Regardless, thank you for bringing this to my attention. The news that others know about the cargo is- concerning.”

“I still want my reward, I haven’t leaked any information, I swear!” Oren exclaimed, knowing how desperately he needed these credits.

“Such materialistic matters are of no concern to me. You will get what you asked for, as long as the cargo is delivered safely.”

“I understand.” Oren replied simply, bowing his head to the figure.

The holocall then ended, leaving Oren on his own again, debating whether he was making the right choice. He needed the credits, but he didn’t want to put his brother at risk. Nevertheless, it was too late now, the cargo was on its way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, the Council is starting to show their lack of trust in Palpatine. The mystery cargo is also on its way. Who was in the hologram? What will the cargo be? Is it speeder parts or something far more sinister?? Be sure to let me know what you think, I would be happy to read your speculations! :)
> 
> A few things, firstly, I'm assuming that Ahsoka is of legal age to drink the star wars galaxy. As far as I am concerned, if the Senate is willing to execute a 16-17 year old then there is no reason why Ahsoka wouldn't be of legal age to drink etc.
> 
> I hope that the original character, Jacen, was okay as I am planning on him coming up quite a bit in the future, and he may even be one of the main characters of the plot. Don't worry, he won't be over powered to the point that he could take down palpatine with a blaster pistol, I will not fall into the trap of making any oc's more powerful than the canon characters, I can promise you that, so please don't worry about that happening. Also, Jacen is in no way a tie in to Jacen Syndulla, so don't start thinking that either because you will be disappointed. (Especially considering he hasn't even been born yet!)
> 
> I wanted to highlight the conflict in the Council regarding Palpatine and Anakin. I feel like some members like Mace and Ki-Adi are quite arrogant in a way, and would not believe Dooku's claims. I feel like members like Plo Koon would support Anakin however, considering the many missions they have been through together. I also wanted to show Yoda's opinion on Palpatine, as with him being the wisest of all the Jedi, I feel that he would be a little suspicious. But due to the lack of evidence, the Jedi aren't really in a position to confront Palpatine at this point.
> 
> Soon we will be wrapping up the introduction and moving onto the contents of the cargo, and also starting to tie in some events of the Season 6 episodes. Hope you enjoyed, please leave any feedback below, I would be happy to hear your opinions so far! :)
> 
> Thanks again!


	4. Discovery and Intrigue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine talks about a secret project and Ahsoka makes a new discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Afraid this one is a little short, I have been updating this quite often though so I think it's fair that some chapters are shorter. This one builds up to the events for the next chapter which will be the longest yet, and will also be pretty much all Ahsoka based plot, so be sure to bookmark so you don't miss it! There is also a surprise character thrown in this chapter for you... :)
> 
> Please let me know if you are happy with the current writing style. If you want me to have more spaces and paragraphs between text then just mention it and I would be more than happy to accommodate.
> 
> Please don't forget to comment if you are enjoying the story so far. Hearing your feedback really keeps me going and motivates me to carry on writing!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

** CORUSCANT - KENDAR’S BAR - AHSOKA’S ROOM **

The past few days had dragged for Ahsoka, and she was now starting to realise why she would often hear people complaining about their work. It was boring, unless you were lucky enough to be one of the high ranking aristocrats of Coruscant, or a Senator for your home planet, Coruscant really was not the place for a reasonable job.

Despite being grateful for being offered some work, Ahsoka was being massively underpaid for the hours she was putting in, and the constant hours of hard work with little breaks was starting to make her lethargic as each day passed. It didn’t help that she wasn’t getting much sleep lately, mostly due to flashbacks that she would have in her dreams, often of her running away from groups of clones.

It reminded her of her trial in many ways, yet something confused her. The dreams weren’t the same events of her trial, as rather than escaping Coruscant she was on a Venator. She assumed they were a vision of some kind, but it didn’t make sense. Why would she be on a _Venator?_ She wasn’t even in the Republic military anymore. Usually she would speak to Master Yoda for clarity, but that was out of the question, so Ahsoka just put the thoughts behind her and proceeded to get out of bed. Luckily, she had been able to persuade Kendar to allow her to have the day off work today. She was quite surprised when he accepted, but then Ahsoka found out that the bar would be closed today anyway, as Oren was visiting to no doubt discuss their future business plans. She could only hope that she would still be able to work here or she would be thrown out into the harsh streets of Coruscant again.

Stretching as she dragged herself out of bed, Ahsoka immediately started to miss the warmth from the bed sheets that she had just left behind. It was very cold today on Coruscant, and her room had no source of heating which, in all honesty, did not surprise her. Most of the appliances in her room were faulty, and she could only imagine a fire starting if she even attempted to turn on some kind of heating device.

Ahsoka immediately walked over to her kitchen area, preparing herself a small breakfast, some dry Dantooine Cereal. Sure, it wasn’t the finest meal but Ahsoka didn’t mind, as it certainly beat the tasteless rations at the Jedi Temple. She quickly ate the cereal whilst looking out of her window.

The sky was bleak, the streets of the lower levels looking a little icy. _‘That would explain why it’s so cold'_ Ahsoka thought to herself, sighing slightly as her teeth chattered.

Deciding it would be the best way to warm up, Ahsoka chose to take a shower. Unfortunately, it was cheap and old, so it would often take a long time to actually warm up - and that’s if it even warmed up at all. She was lucky today, with the shower actually working properly, which made for a nice change. She spent some time thinking about the past few days, then slowly stepped out after the water started to turn cold.

Drying off her body and montrals, Ahsoka reluctantly pulled on her old Padawan clothes. She hadn’t had a chance to change them yet, and so she made a mental note to buy some more with the credits she had saved soon. Kendar had been nice enough to give her a work outfit, and whilst it was a little revealing and not really her size, she much preferred it to her old Jedi attire. She was also lucky enough to find some old bed clothes in her wardrobe too, so she washed them and decided to use them for now.

She was still somewhat disgusted at how quickly the Jedi Order had abandoned her, and she knew that she would always hold a slight grudge for them due to their mishandling of the whole trial, even if that wasn’t the Jedi way. Ahsoka frowned at her own thoughts. She was no longer a Jedi. Whilst she knew she would probably hold certain aspects of the code forever, she didn’t exactly agree with every rule.

Now dressed and ready to start her day, Ahsoka decided to go downstairs to the bar and see what Kendar and Oren were up to.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR PALPATINE’S OFFICE**

Palpatine sat at his desk, fingers intertwined as he contemplated how to proceed. So far, his schemes had gone as planned. The Jedi suspected nothing and the war was going well. But, he needed a way to separate the more of the Jedi Masters, sending them far into the vast galaxy so they would not stand a chance when he executed Order 66. The clones had done their job brilliant, the Jedi now considering them as their comrades. Palpatine smiled as he couldn’t wait for that trust to become their downfall.

“Chancellor, they are waiting outside.” the voice of Mas Amedda breaking his line of thought. Palpatine smiled.

“Good, bring them in.”

Mas Amedda nodded, who motioned for the Senate Guards to open the door. Two figures promptly walked in.

“Good day to you Chancellor.” came the voice of Wilhuff Tarkin, as he bowed his head as a sign of respect. Tarkin had earned Palpatine’s trust, something which had paid off for him as he was now an Admiral in the Republic Navy. Tarkin then gestured to the man to his side, “I trust you have heard of _‘Commander’_ Orson Krennic?” he asked somewhat mockingly, placing emphasis on the title. This earned a scowl from Krennic, who promptly turned back to face the Chancellor. It was no secret that the two didn’t get on very well, becoming rivals in a sense, both trying to earn the Chancellor’s favor and be one step ahead of the other.

“Your Excellency.” he said simply as he bowed, earning a nod from Palpatine. He was trying to be the bigger man by ignoring Tarkin’s remark, and it clearly worked on Tarkin who sent a dangerous glare his way.

“Thank you both for coming at such short notice.” Palpatine began to speak softly, eyes slowly glancing between the two as he spoke, “We have urgent matters to discuss regarding our science project above Geonosis.”

Palpatine then glanced at Mas Amedda, who took that as his cue to leave, taking the Senate Guards outside with him. Tarkin and Krennic then took a seat before the Chancellor.

Palpatine then continued, “It is imperative that we divert as many resources to the project as quickly as possible, it must be finished on time if we are to end this dreadful war.”

Krennic spoke up soon after, “Chancellor, I assure you that the project will be finished on time, the local Geonosians have made a significant amount of progress-”

“But it is not _enough_ , Commander.” Palpatine interrupted, becoming frustrated with his excuses, “The longer we take, the more likely it is that the Separatists will make a weapon of their own. This project could bring lasting peace to the Galaxy.” Palpatine said, having a somewhat sinister smile afterwards. He felt he could be more like himself in front of Tarkin and Krennic, the two of them being in his ‘inner circle’ of trusted advisors.

“I agree, it is clear that your project is taking longer than you estimated, Krennic. Chancellor, if I may, perhaps someone with more experience should be given the role of overseeing the construction.” Tarkin suggested, earning a deadly glare from Krennic.

“I can assure you, Chancellor, the station will be completed on schedule. It’s the weapon itself that may prove more, well, challenging to complete.” Krennic stated, looking at Palpatine, “We will require some of the best minds around the galaxy to even consider creating it. We need more time.”

Palpatine sighed, as he began to consider how to proceed. Ever since taking control of the banks he had been able to secretly divert funds to the DS-1 project without alerting the Jedi. But, the construction of the actual weapon had proven to be more difficult. There were some supplies that were needed that were much harder to obtain without gaining the attention of the Jedi, and Palpatine couldn’t risk the possibility of them finding out. It would ruin his master plan after all. They had been left out of the loop, no idea that a superweapon was being constructed right under their noses. The war had been an excellent distraction so far, but Palpatine could sense that the end was near, and the weapon needed to be ready in time to ensure that no systems rebelled once his power was absolute.

“I need the resources that I requested.” Krennic continued, talking as politely as possible. He could quickly lose his temper. “The arrival is long overdue, it is impossible for my scientists to make the weapon without any of the key components.”

“I can assure you, Commander, that is being taken care of as we speak. The resources will arrive today from Christophsis and will be ready to pick up from the Senate building in a few hours.” Palpatine responded, smiling at the man.

“Perhaps we should send them elsewhere. I feel that we are taking quite a risk bringing the resources to the Senate building, if the Jedi find out they could try to interfere.” Tarkin suggested, scratching his head in thought.

“I agree with Tarkin,” Krennic stated suddenly, earning a surprised look from both Tarkin and the Chancellor. Had the two really just agreed on something? “I think it would be wiser to have them dropped off at the Ministry of Science, where we can begin testing. A weapon of this magnitude will require lots of research, and that complex has the best facilities to do it. Besides, it’s the last place the Jedi will consider searching.”

The Chancellor nodded his head in agreement, “Very well, they will be delivered as soon as possible.”

“Are we not taking a big risk testing them on Coruscant?” Tarkin asked, “What if the Jedi mystics can sense it?”

Palpatine considered this for a moment, as it was a valid point. “I believe it is a risk worth taking, it is critical that we develop this technology as soon as possible. If the Jedi find out then we will take the necessary steps to protect our progress.”

Palpatine then looked to Krennic, “It is of the utmost importance that we preserve the secrecy of this project. The resources are being delivered by a civilian to avoid any interference from the Jedi or the Senate. It should keep suspicion low and allow us to safely collect the cargo.”

Tarkin looked surprised at this, as Palpatine was taking an awfully large risk, “Chancellor, are you sure that is a wise idea? What if we lose the resources? How do we trust this, _‘civilian’?”_

“I am sure he will deliver them as promised. I promised a great sum of credits as a reward. Do not underestimate money, Admiral, it is one of the most powerful weapons in the Galaxy. I will inform the contact of the change to deliver the cargo to the science complex rather than the Senate.” Palpatine responded, then he looked back to Krennic, “Once he arrives, you must _eliminate_ him. I am afraid we can not risk this information being leaked, otherwise the security of the Republic will be at risk.” He then looked at Krennic expectantly, giving him a rather sadistic smile.

Krennic nodded, excited to finally get his project underway, “It will be done, Chancellor.”

* * *

**CORUSCANT - KENDARS BAR**

Upon walking down to the bar, Ahsoka realised that Oren hadn’t arrived yet, so she took the opportunity to buy some much needed supplies from the local store. The prices were heavily inflated, the shopkeeper claiming that it is due to the war, but Ahsoka knew better than that. People would use any excuse to make as many credits as possible. The war was one of them. Despite the high prices, Ahsoka was able to buy some more food to keep her going. Some simple Nerf meat, as well as some more soup and a few ration bars as snacks. Sure it was nothing exciting, but she understood how important her credits were at the moment. Luxury foods could wait. _Survival_ was more important now.

She considered buying herself some new clothes now, but there weren’t really that many good quality shops in the lower streets. Ahsoka also didn’t want to look like a common criminal or smuggler. She wanted to make sure any clothes she bought were actually comfortable if she would be wearing them often, and for that she would need a few more credits. Ahsoka also thought about buying some form of weapon, just in case. But the cheapest blaster was 5000 credits, and Ahsoka would have no credits left if she bought one. Besides, she could recall that Master Kenobi usually called such weapons _‘uncivilised’._

By the time she got back to the bar, Oren had already arrived. He was deep in conversation with Kendar, but by the time the bar door had closed he had stopped talking, and was now staring at her suspiciously. Ahsoka looked back at him too, not wanting to back away from his glare and show any weakness towards him.

“Ah, brother,” Kendar began to talk to break the silence that had now occurred between them, “this is Ahsoka Tano, she’s been helping out for a few days now. She has proven to be quite resourceful. I’m sure ya remember her after she delivered ya holodisk?”

“Indeed,” Oren said, still a suspicious look in his eyes, “I am still impressed with her ability to take down those thugs on her own. Most impressive.”

Ahsoka felt something different in Oren, almost as if he knew something about her, and she even picked up a sense of - fear? But she wasn’t sure if it was of her or someone else.

“Thank you, I was happy to be of help.” Ahsoka said with a smile, mostly directed at Kendar.

Kendar had been very generous to her and Ahsoka knew that she would be forever grateful. He had offered her a job, given her somewhere to rest and some new clothes to wear when she needed help most. There were also the credits, but she wasn’t exactly getting paid a lot for the work she put in. Despite this, she was still very grateful for everything that he had done.

“Anyway young one, if you wouldn’t mind excusing us.” Oren said politely, then looking back at his brother, “We have some important matters to discuss.”

“Of course, I will be upstairs if you need me.” Ahsoka said, then she left for the stairs. But she decided not to go to her room, and instead wait on the floorboards above them. She couldn’t help but be a little curious. She needed to know if she would still have a job here.

Ahsoka also couldn’t help but think about the delivery that would probably be arriving soon. It was why Oren was here after all, to discuss the new business plan. Now at the top floor, she sat patiently on the old floorboards, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. Before she knew it, she could hear them as if she was in the same room.

“- docking platform 7-B, then I can collect the delivery and take it to my contact.” Ahsoka heard the distinct voice of Oren, and she could still feel his fear. But what of?

“Remind me again why ya aren’t collecting speeder parts anymore. I thought that was our new future?” Kendar replied.

“This is better, trust me brother. My contact is paying well just to deliver some cargo to him.”

“But isn’t it dangerous? What if they betray ya? Or what if those thugs come back?” she heard Kendar again, she figured from this that Oren wasn’t exactly telling him all the details. Whatever he was planning, Kendar was in no way involved. It only made Ahsoka more curious.

“I will be fine, I’m doing this for us. We can get off of this cesspit with the credits, start a new business on a new planet. A fresh start!” Oren exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Alright, if ya insist, I don’t see any way of talkin’ ya out of this. But I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Ahsoka broke her connection through the force. She now had the name of the dock and she also knew that the cargo was something possibly far more dangerous. Now she just needed to decide what to do with this information. Part of her wanted to just stay out of it, as she wasn’t a Jedi anymore and it didn’t really involve her. But then the other part of her wanted to help, because it was simply the right thing to do. Whatever job this is that Oren has taken on, Ahsoka could clearly see that it was a trap, and she didn’t want Kendar to be dragged into it. Besides, she owed him for all that he had done for her, it was the least she could do.

Ahsoka sighed, knowing that she was probably going in way over her head, she stood up from the floor and went to her room to prepare. She didn’t exactly have any weapons for self defence, which would prove to be a bit of an issue. She had the force, but she didn’t want to blow her cover either. Public opinion of the Jedi was a mess, so she didn’t really want people finding out yet, or at least not until she had at least a weapon to defend herself if things took a turn for the worse.

Briefly coming up with a plan, Ahsoka decided that it would be best to follow Oren as best as she could. ‘At least I know the name of the dock’ Ahsoka thought to herself as she picked up a holopad from her desk, searching for the dock in question via the holonet. “Abandoned, huh?” Ahsoka said to herself, “Definitely not a trap.” She remarked sarcastically as she searched her room for anything of use, finding a small backpack in the old wardrobe that she was surprised was still standing at this point. She could tell it was made of a once fine wood, but it had rotted with age and general use. She also dug out some ration bars from her kitchen area and put them in the bag, just in case. Packing her holopad and swinging the bag on her back, she prepared to sneak out and follow Oren. All she could think about was the possible contents of the cargo, and why the contact wanted it delivered by a civilian.

She also was curious of why Oren seemed so fearful now, and yet the last she had seen him he was mostly stable. Perhaps it was his contact? Or he knew this was a bad idea but couldn’t walk out of it now? None of it was adding up, but Ahsoka was sure it would all make sense soon, whether for the better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I hoped you enjoyed the little surprise appearance from Krennic. I really wanted to add him in there because he was such a cool character in Rogue One. I will admit, I had to do a lot of research before writing this one because I wasn't even sure if Krennic was that involved in the Republic. But, it turns out he was! I thought I would add Tarkin there too as he was sort of Krennic's boss at this point, and their rivalry is quite fun to write!
> 
> What do you think the resource is that is being delivered? Let me know your ideas in the comments! :)
> 
> I also wanted to throw in the idea that Palpatine used the banks to fund the Death Star/DS-1 (which is the secret project they were on about if you weren't sure). Honestly it makes the most sense to me, I can't see any other way that he would have funded it during a war and Palpy seems like the sort of guy to pull such an act. I also thought I would make him openly sinister in this scene, as I feel he trusts some of his advisors well and I am pretty sure Mas Amedda knows he is a Sith Lord in canon, although I left him out of the meeting as I didn't really have any dialog planned for him.
> 
> The next chapter will be a lot of action, and will be pretty much all Ahsoka. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Don't forget to bookmark if you are enjoying, I am updating this most days of the week as I am having a blast writing this, I only hope you are having as mch fun reading it!


	5. The Cargo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Jacen meet again. Ahsoka then follows Oren to the abandoned dock and makes a concerning discovery...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, quite a long 8000 word chapter here. Lots of action too.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! End notes are quite long, please read them though as there is some important information in there!

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS**

Ahsoka stood outside the bar, leaning against the wall and tapping her foot impatiently. She was at the side of the building, in the narrow alleyway, so as to not attract the attention of Oren as he exited the bar. However, what Ahsoka didn’t realise was how long he would be in there. She didn’t hear a time during the brothers’ discussion, only a dock number and its location, and so all she had to do now was wait.

Ahsoka sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor. She didn’t care if it was dirty, such things were the least of her concerns at the moment. Ahsoka had been through far worse during the war anyway.

She thought about her, well, _experimental_ plan. It was fairly simple but also a little risky. Just follow Oren to the dock and see if she could find his contact, and possibly save his life along the way.

Obviously she needed to do this whilst being as stealthy as possible, all the while not losing him in the busy streets of Coruscant. If she lost him she risked losing the cargo, and possibly Oren himself is some sort of crime syndicate like the Pykes were involved. But she knew she couldn’t go ahead without him either. If she was spotted the whole meeting could be called off, and she would be exposed or possibly even killed. She doubted that Kendar would even let her continue to work at the bar if she was spotted snooping around at the docks.

Ahsoka also needed to account for the possibility that he would travel by speeder. If he did, it would be very difficult to keep up, but she did have a plan for that. She checked the small pouch on her utility belt, which carried a small amount of credit chips, something she had always kept on her for emergencies. It was what allowed her to get a speeder to the lower levels from the Jedi Temple in the first place. ‘Should be enough to get an air taxi’, she thought to herself as she reached for the holopad in her backpack.

Turning on the device, Ahsoka peered around the wall and had a quick check of the entrance, noticing that Oren still hadn’t left yet. She didn’t need to pay too much attention, as she would hear the door open and would most likely be able to sense him leaving anyway.

Glancing back at the holopad, Ahsoka imputed the dock name, platform ‘7-B’. Once again scanning through the short amount of information that appeared before her, she read that the dock had been abandoned due to a large number of criminals operating in the area. “Brilliant,” Ahsoka muttered quietly to herself, “sounds like the perfect place for an ambush.”

She wondered if Oren could be in league with said criminals. It was possible, but she doubted it. Sure, Oren didn’t strike her as a totally honest Ithorian, but he didn’t exactly come across as a crime lord. Laughing slightly to herself, she placed the holopad back in the bag and stared at the wall of the building in front of her.

“What are you doing down there on the floor?” a familiar voice brought her out of her thoughts. For a moment she panicked, half expecting to see Oren or Kendar glaring at her suspiciously. Luckily, she found it was neither.

 _“Jacen?”_ she asked, somewhat confused by his intrusion. She was a little surprised to see him here.

“Oh, so you _do_ remember me?” he replied, giving her a smug smile. Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him. “Even so, you didn’t answer my question?” he then asked, giving Ahsoka a confused look. She understood his confusion, she was sitting on the floor and looking a little sketchy.

“Oh, nothing,” she hastily replied, “Just having a rest, nothing wrong with that, right?” she asked him with a little bit of humour in her voice as she tried to convince him. Unfortunately, he didn’t look all that certain with her reply. She needed to change the topic, fast. “So, what are you doing here?” she asked as she attempted to stand up, brushing off her clothes as she did to try and look somewhat presentable.

“I was going to stop by the bar for a drink, but I see now that it’s closed.” Jacen said, offering his hand to help her up. Ahsoka glanced at it for a moment, then cautiously accepted.

“Thank you.” she muttered quietly, not making eye contact. She couldn’t understand why she was so shy lately, but then she quickly put it down to the stress from her trial. Her closest thing to family, the Jedi Order, had turned her away when she needed them the most. After that ordeal, she knew it would take a while to trust anyone as much as she used too.

Ahsoka then met Jacen’s eyes, wanting to look mature rather than shy, “Kendar and his brother are changing up the bar, making some sort of speeder business.” Ahsoka stated, noticing how his eyes slightly widened with surprise as she said this. “I think they might be shutting it up soon.”

“They’re closing the bar down? I can’t believe it,” he said with a sad tone as he looked to the entrance, “This was the first bar I’d ever been to on Coruscant, never imagined it would ever shut down.” Ahsoka was a little surprised, she didn’t realise this place meant so much to Jacen. She didn’t really hold an attachment to a building anymore. It used to be the Jedi Temple, but now things had changed she just wasn’t sure.

He then looked at her, “What about you, Ahsoka? Where will you work if they close it down?” Jacen asked with a hint of trepidation in his voice.

Ahsoka looked down for a moment as she considered how to respond. In truth, she had no idea what she was going to do. Despite this, she appreciated his concern.

“Honestly, I’m not quite sure.” Ahsoka said quietly, looking back up to him “I’m sure another opportunity will present itself though.”. Silence then followed as the two awkwardly stood around, each waiting for the other to talk.

“You hungry?” Jacen said suddenly, breaking the silence, “I might grab something to eat, you’re welcome to join me if you like?”

Ahsoka considered his request. She was definitely hungry and had only eaten a small amount of cereal this morning. But, she knew that she couldn’t risk losing Oren right now. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a way to do both, and protecting Kendar’s brother was the right thing to do.

“I’m sorry Jacen, I can’t. I need to stay here- it’s really important that I do.” Ahsoka stuttered slightly as she spoke. She didn’t want to turn him down when he was one of the few people who were actually trying to help her, but she couldn’t risk the chance of missing out on the cargo.

“Another time?” she suggested, looking into his eyes. Ahsoka didn’t miss the slight bit of hurt in them, and she immediately felt a sense of guilt for letting him down.

“Sure, that’s fine, another time then.” he said as he recomposed himself, giving her a brief smile and turning to walk away.

Ahsoka sighed, “Jacen, _stop!”_

He did as she said, stopping and turning to her with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“I’ll come with you, I suppose it would be nice to have some company.” she stated, smiling at him.

“It’s fine Ahsoka, I don’t want to be a nuisance if you’re busy-”

“I’m coming with you Jacen,” she interrupted, “besides it would be nice to try some different food to the bland soup I eat everyday. I just need to get some things from my room, wait here for me.” Ahsoka said as she began to walk around to the entrance of the bar.

He nodded and walked to the wall, “I will be right here.” he replied as he leant against it.

Ahsoka opened the door to the bar, having a brief glance inside before she walked in. The door closed behind her as she stepped inside. She could hear Oren and Kendar still talking in the kitchen about their new business plan, and luckily they hadn’t noticed she was there. She quietly knelt down towards the door, taking the backpack from her back and placing it on the floor. She had an idea of how to track when Oren left the bar, but she would have to be quick in order to not lose him.

Reaching into the small pouch on her utility belt, Ahsoka pulled out a tiny device. It was a simple motion detector, often carried around by Jedi, and she was lucky enough to be still carrying one with her as she left the Order. Pushing the small device onto the lower door frame, Ahsoka connected it to the same frequency as the holocommunicator on her wrist. Activating the device, Ahsoka once again quietly walked out of the door, being careful not to activate the sensor. The device would send a signal to Ahsoka’s communicator once someone left the bar, which should give enough time to reach Oren before he got away. Or at least she hoped, because if this didn’t work then she feared the worst for the Ithorian.

Greeting Jacen as she stepped back outside, the two set off towards the local diner. Ahsoka secretly hoped it wouldn’t be too expensive there, as she was trying to save her credits for more important items.

She only wished that she had some more presentable clothes to wear, as her old Padawan clothes were starting to show signs of general wear and tear, and the old washing machine in her tiny apartment hardly worked. Ahsoka once again made a note to at least buy herself some new clothes with some of the credits she had accumulated.

She subtly glanced at Jacen as she carried on thinking to herself. She could only imagine Anakin’s reaction right now if he had been here. He was very protective over her, but Ahsoka knew that he only did it because he cared for her safety. She couldn’t imagine him being happy that a boy was taking her out for something to eat. Smiling to herself slightly, Ahsoka embraced the change, as it was nice to actually meet new people and make new friends, something she struggled with whilst in the Order due to their strict rules.

She could understand why the rules were there, but having no attachments was a hard way to live, and Ahsoka was somewhat grateful that she didn’t need to follow the rules anymore. But she would still need to be cautious of the dark side, as despite leaving the Order, Ahsoka was still a force wielder and could be at risk of falling to the darkness if she wasn’t careful.

Ahsoka glanced at Jacen again, but this time he looked at her too. Caught off guard and a little embarrassed, Ahsoka quickly shied away from his eyes.

“Hey, thanks for agreeing to come along,” he said, giving her a slight nudge with his elbow, “I’m a little surprised if anything.”

Ahsoka looked at him as they continued to walk towards the diner, “Why’s that?” she asked, a little confused.

“I don’t mean any offence, but you can sometimes come across as a little, well, _closed off._ it’s like there’s more to you than meets the eye.” Jacen stated as he raised his eyebrow slightly, looking at Ahsoka who wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Ahsoka sighed, “Yeah, I can understand that. I’ve had a tough week, it’s taken it out of me a little.”

Jacen nodded, not wanting to press her for more details at the moment, as it was clear she needed a bit of space. The pair continued to walk together towards the diner. He only hoped she would open up a little more over dinner.

* * *

** CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE **

“Commander Krennic, the cargo will be arriving in a few hours. I trust you are well prepared for its arrival?” Palpatine spoke to the holographic Krennic that had appeared on his desk.

“Indeed, Chancellor, I eagerly await its arrival.”

“Good, I also trust you have remembered the importance of the secrecy of this project. It is critical that it does not become public knowledge until the project is completed.”

“Of course, I assure you that we will take the necessary precautions. Are there any further threats I should be aware of?”

Palpatine considered this for a moment, intertwining his fingers as he thought. “There is a possibility that the civilian will fail to deliver the cargo.” Palpatine spoke softly as he looked at Krennic, he could feel the frustration within the man as he said this, “It is clear that another party is aware of the resources, but I am afraid there is nothing we can do. To send Republic troops would draw the attention of the Senate, and we cannot take such a risk at this moment in time.”

“But Chancellor, if we lose the cargo-”

“Then we can retrieve more, and we will attempt a different approach.” Palpatine swiftly interrupted.

“I mean no disrespect, Your Excellency, but aren’t we taking a huge risk. If the Jedi find out about the DS-1 they will shut it down for sure.” Krennic responded, becoming frustrated at the Chancellor’s lack of care for the project. It was him after all who wanted the weapon built as soon as possible, yet he didn’t seem to be bothered about the risk to the resources they so desperately needed.

“I can assure you, Commander, that myself and my advisors have plans in place in the event of such a scenario. Whilst it would be in our best interests for this not to happen, we can find ways around to turn it to our advantage.”

Krennic sighed, “Very well Chancellor, I shall inform you when we have retrieved the cargo from the Science Complex, I will be there personally to retrieve it and to tie up any loose ends.”

“Oh, one more thing Commander.” Palpatine said as he looked a little uneasy, “There is a chance that a Jedi may get involved.”

Krennic looked shocked at this, “ _A Jedi?_ I thought that we were trying to keep this knowledge away from the Order.”

“It was a threat we could not have anticipated. The Togruta Ahsoka Tano is no longer serving the Order, but she has started to meddle in our affairs. It is likely she will discover our plan.”

“I see,” Krennic responded in a thoughtful manner, “how should we deal with this threat?”

Palpatine sighed, “I have dispatched an agent to deal with the Jedi, however I worry that it is already too late. Her involvement would guarantee that the resources will be lost.”

Krennic started to grow frustrated, “Chancellor, if the resources are lost it will push back the development of the weapon.”

“I’m afraid there is nothing to be done. If the Jedi discover the resources then I have a plan in place to keep them from discovering the station itself.”

Krennic nodded, “Very well then Chancellor, I will update you on our progress shortly.”

Palpatine then nodded at the hologram of Krennic, then he closed the call. He had a strong feeling that the cargo would be lost, but this didn’t concern him at all. If the Jedi were to retrieve the cargo, then it would only work to his advantage. The Council would no longer trust him, and that would only help in grooming Anakin to the dark side. The Jedi’s actions would be their undoing.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS - THE DINER**

The diner, to Ahsoka’s surprise, was actually very modern by Galactic standards. Especially considering it was on the lower levels of Coruscant. It was fairly big, and was also quite busy with numerous species occupying different tables. There were a collection of free tables in the corner of the building, and so Ahsoka and Jacen headed over there. There were numerous service droids whizzing around, each taking orders and carrying plates with an assortment of glasses containing interestingly coloured liquids and plates with hot food. It reminded her a little of the diner herself and Anakin had been in after Savage Opress had attacked. Ahsoka recalled that Anakin had nearly been attacked by a chef with a frying pan, the short memory putting a smile on her face.

Ahsoka noticed a large Besalisk in the kitchen, the same species as the fallen Jedi Pong Krell. He was efficiently flipping contents of pans with two of his hands whilst chopping something with the other two, something that she considered to be quite impressive.

“Interesting place,” Ahsoka said as the two sat down at a table in the far corner, “must be giving Kendar some competition.”

Jacen let out a slight laugh, “It’s probably why they are trying something new. Big businesses like this always tend to starve out the smaller ones.” he said as he turned to face the window that was across from their table.

“You sound like you’re talking from experience?” Ahsoka suggested, drawing his attention back to her.

Jacen sighed, “I am. My Parents used to own a small store on Naboo. It wasn’t much, but it allowed us to get by.” Ahsoka looked at him intently, nodding for him to carry on, “When the Trade Federation launched a blockade of the planet, my Parents were unable to keep the business running.” Jacen said quietly, Ahsoka could feel the sadness within him as he spoke.

“What happened then?” Ahsoka asked, pressing him to continue as Jacen turned back towards the window.

He sighed quietly again, “As their droids occupied the city, a small skirmish broke out between the local police and a droid patrol.” Jacen then looked at Ahsoka, “My parents were caught in the crossfire whilst looking for food to keep us alive.” He then looked down at the table, unable to keep eye contact with Ahsoka. “That was thirteen years ago, I was only five at the time. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

Ahsoka was lost for words, she had no idea how to even respond. Doing the maths in her head, she worked out that Jacen must be eighteen, and so he was only just older than herself. Yet to lose your entire family at such a young age and to be left on your own, Ahsoka couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been. Sure, the Jedi had taken her from whatever family she had back then, but at least she had the Temple. She understood to an extent what he was going through however, as she often missed her own true family even if she didn’t remember them, even more so now she had left the Order.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say-” Ahsoka started, only to be cut off by Jacen as he raised his hand slightly for her to stop.

“Forgive me, I didn’t bring you here to discuss such miserable topics, I was just hoping to get to know you a little better.” he said, giving her a genuine smile.

Ahsoka gave a weak smile back, feeling incredibly sorry for him. It was a tragic story and she wished she could offer some comfort, but it was clear he wanted to move on from the topic.

“So then, now you know more about me, what’s your story?” he asked as a service droid wheeled over to their table, offering them both menus.

“There’s not much to tell really,” she expressed as she glanced through the menu, “like you I was separated from my parents at an early age.” Ahsoka stated carefully, not sure whether or not to tell the entire truth yet.

Jacen gave her a curious look and then looked back to the menu before him, “And why was that?”

Ahsoka hesitated for a moment, “Uh, I was sent to Coruscant to study at the Republic University here.”

Jacen’s eyes jumped straight to Ahsoka at this comment, “How did a University student end up in the lower levels of Coruscant?” he asked, sounding somewhat amused.

“That’s a good question,” Ahsoka responded, “I studied engineering for a few years, but then I- well, I walked away.”

“So that’s why you know how to repair starships and such?” Jacen added, gaining a slightly shocked look from Ahsoka. She was surprised he had even remembered their first conversation.

“Yeah, _they taught me a trick or two.”_ she remarked, giving Jacen a smirk. He too grinned at her comment, then proceeded to continue reading the menu.

“Anything taking your interest?” he asked as he looked over the many choices.

Ahsoka glanced down to the meats, wanting something different to the soup and cereal she seemed to be eating on a daily basis, “Probably just a Nerfburger?” she suggested, earning a nod from Jacen. He motioned to the droid to come back to them.

“We would like two Nerfburgers please,” then he looked back to Ahsoka, “you want anything to drink?”

“Just some water, nothing too exciting” she stated, realising she needed to stay aware and focused as she might need to leave at any moment.

“Then two waters as well, thank you.”

The droid did a slight bow of the head, then whizzed off to the kitchen to prepare the order.

The two made eye contact for a short moment, both then looking away from each other. Ahsoka wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, she had spoken to boys her age before. She then thought about Lux, especially how hard it was to see him with Steela during the Onderon rebellion. She wouldn’t even deny that she always had a slight crush on Lux, but the two had fallen out of contact for a while now. She wondered how he was doing now, or if he even voted against her during the trial.

“Your headdress, what is it?” Jacen asked, breaking her out of her line of thought, and she blushed ever so slightly knowing that he was observing her.

“They are teeth from an Akul, a large and dangerous predator from my homeplanet, Shili.” she responded, motioning with her hand to the headdress as she spoke.

“It’s _beautiful_.” Jacen commented as he focused his gaze on her blue eyes, causing her to quickly look at the table, blushing slightly again. She picked up on his subtle attempt to flirt with her and it caught her off guard. “Did you make it yourself?” he continued, which had Ahsoka look back up and meet his gaze, this time examining his dark brown eyes.

“I did. The predators are dangerous and destructive beasts on Shili. To slay one is considered the greatest honour among my people.” Ahsoka stated as the droid returned to their table with their order. “It is tradition that only those who have slain an Akul can wear its teeth.”

Jacen took the food from the droid that had quickly returned to their table, handing one of the plates to Ahsoka. She smiled and took it from him, quietly muttering a simple “Thanks.”

“So you must be quite a capable fighter then?” he proposed as he gazed at Ahsoka once again.

“You could say that.” she almost whispered in response, giving Jacen a smirk and then turning to the fairly large burger in front of her. The droid had also returned and placed the water on the table, which Ahsoka reached for as she took a small sip from the glass.

There was something about Ahsoka that Jacen still didn’t understand. It was like he had said to her earlier, there was more to her than met the eye, and he was intrigued to find out more about her history. When they had first met, she was a simple waitress in a slightly run down bar. But now, she had revealed to be a past university student, as well as a capable warrior that was able to slay a ferocious beast on her own. He was more than impressed by her abilities, and he was definitely enjoying having some company. He had been on his own for so long, he had almost forgotten what it was like to have friends as well as people to look out for you when you needed their help.

But he was also a little curious. Only prestigious families could afford to send their children to the Republic University on Coruscant. To simply walk out wasn’t exactly common, not to mention that she was now stuck on the lower levels. Turning to the food before him, Jacen wondered if there was more to that story than Ahsoka was letting on.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS - KENDAR’S BAR**

Oren shifted around uncomfortably in the bar. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the job, but he knew it needed to be done if he was ever going to get off this rock. Coruscant hadn’t been good to him, and whilst his brother Kendar was only just getting by, Oren was running low on credits. He owed money to numerous people and his attempt to sell odd droid parts he had ‘found’ had been less than successful.

Oren then thought back to his brief call with his contact. He had been ordered to deliver cargo to the Ministry of Science now, and he was only ever more curious about the contents of the cargo. Perhaps it was some sort of experiment, or even some illegal product. Oren cared little though, as the amount he was being paid would mean he would be set for life if he was careful with his spending. 2 Million credits was a very generous amount for a simple cargo mission, and it made Oren consider how high risk this must be for such a high reward. Despite this, he was eager to collect the credits and start a new life.

As for his brother, Kendar, he would leave it up to him to make a choice. He would rather not leave him here on his own, but part of him just wanted to keep all the credits to himself and leave Coruscant as quickly as possible. He decided it would be best to have a think about it whilst he delivered the cargo to the Science Complex.

He noticed Kendar enter the kitchen, “So then brother, when do ya leave?” he asked.

Oren looked at him, breaking out of his nervous state to a more focused mindset, “Soon, the cargo will arrive at the dock in less than an hour.”

Kendar sighed and walked up to his brother, “For the last time, please don’t do this job. Whatever they promised ya is not worth ya life.” he stated, knowing that Oren wouldn’t listen.

“As I have said before, this will change our lives for the better, I promise.”

Kendar threw his arms up in frustration and then left the kitchen, mumbling as he walked. Oren sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen as he prepared himself for whatever he might face on this job.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS - THE DINER**

The Nerfburger was extremely tasty, Ahsoka definitely didn’t regret going out for something to eat now. Oren still hadn’t left the bar yet, or her motion sensor wasn’t working. Either way, she was grateful that she wasn’t still sitting outside the bar.

Ahsoka glanced at Jacen, who was just finishing his burger. She gave him a smile, one he reciprocated after eating.

“I wanted to thank you for taking me out today,” Ahsoka spoke softly, “It means a lot to me.”

“I enjoyed it too, it was nice chatting with you.” Jacen replied as he put his wrist on the table, motioning to his comlink. “Would you like to have my com-frequency? Then we can keep in touch if the bar does shut down.”

Ahsoka didn’t even hesitate at this, and she happily offered her comlink to him so they could connect to the same frequency. This way they could still keep in contact if she was to lose her job.

The service droid returned to the table holding a holopad. “That will be thirty five credits please.” it droned in its robotic voice. Ahsoka began to reach into the pouch to retrieve some credits until Jacen interrupted her.

“Ahsoka, let me pay. Please?” he offered, “You need the credits more than I do right now.” he said as he passed a handful of credits to the droid.

“I don’t mind paying, Jacen.” Ahsoka argued back, however she was grateful that he understood how important the credits were to her.

“It’s fine Ahsoka, you can pay next time.” Jacen stated, “Assuming there will be a next time?”

Ahsoka gave him a smirk, _“A bold statement,”_ she said as she looked him in the eye, “of course there will be a next time, I really enjoyed it today.”

Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice the look of relief that swept over his face.

Suddenly her commlink began to flash, and Ahsoka knew that someone had just left the bar. Luckily for her, Jacen hadn’t noticed so there was no need to explain.

“Anyway, I’d better be getting off, thanks again for the food.” Ahsoka said with a smile.

“Would you like me to walk you back to your apartment?” Jacen offered as the two stood up.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, “I thought we had worked out I was capable of defending myself?” she responded sarcastically. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine.” Ahsoka said as she nodded her head as a sign of respect, then she made her way towards the door as quickly as she could without looking suspicious. She needed to be quick to not lose Oren.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LOWER STREETS**

Ahsoka sprinted as fast as she could to find an air taxi. Luckily, one had pulled up to the side of the street not too far from the diner she had just left.

Practically jumping into the taxi, Ahsoka focused her gaze on the startled cab driver, “Do you know where Kendar’s bar is?” she asked quickly, panting slightly as she regained her breath.

“Kendar’s? Yeah, I know the place. You-”

“I need you to get me there as quickly as possible.” Ahsoka interrupted as she pulled out the holopad from her backpack.

If she was lucky she would be able to catch up with Oren before he got too far. Observing the holopad, she saw that it had only been a few minutes since the motion sensor had picked up some movement. Ahsoka was suddenly jolted back into her seat as the taxi took off from the street.

Ahsoka realised that she needed to calm down and be patient. She thought back to when Master Sinube had helped to find her lost lightsaber. Despite being slow, he was always one step ahead, a skill Ahsoka was hoping she could learn herself. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind.

It wasn’t long until the taxi had reached the bar, and Ahsoka quickly slided over to the seat beside her to glance out the window. She couldn’t see Oren anywhere. Just as she was about to give up hope, she noticed a speeder fly out of the alleyway at the side of the bar, a small Ithorian at the controls.

“Hey, I need you to follow that speeder.” Ahsoka stated, looking back at the taxi driver.

He sighed, then pulled at the controls to follow the speeder. “What exactly is this anyway? You’d better not be in some kind of trouble because I don’t want to be involved if you are.”

Ahsoka looked back at the human male, not sure how to respond. “No trouble, just a friend I need to speak with. It’s quite important.” she responded as she turned back towards the window.

“Right, _a friend_.” he muttered, clearly not believing her, “Just so you know this will cost you extra.”

Ahsoka sighed. Part of what she said was true. She owed it to Kendar to help his brother, as it was clear he was in way over his head. She was also curious about the contents of the cargo, especially if it was something dangerous. If it was, she considered it her duty to help in any way she could. Ahsoka leaned back in her chair as the taxi loosely followed Oren’s speeder. She considered contacting Jacen to tell him what was going on, but she didn’t want to drag him into this too.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - DOCKING PLATFORM 7-B**

The docking platform was just how Ahsoka had expected it to be. Old, run down from the lack of maintenance and somewhat seedy. Remembering what she had read about this area, she knew she needed to be on high alert. If the information on the holopad was anything to go by, this place had become a popular spot for criminals who conducted their illegal activities without the watchful eyes of the authorities.

Ahsoka was surprised that the Jedi hadn’t done anything about places like this, but then then she realised that the Jedi were always too occupied with the war to look to their own borders. Looking back now, she noticed how much the war was consuming the Jedi Order and she was definitely satisfied with her choice to leave. ‘Maybe it was a sign?’ she thought to herself.

Ahsoka glanced at the cab driver as he pulled to the side of the dock, “Thanks for the lift.” she said as she handed the driver a handful of credits. He happily accepted.

“Look, I’m not sure what you’re planning, but this is no safe place to be once it gets late.” he mumbled as she examined the credit chips.

“Thanks for the advice, but I can take care of myself.” Ahsoka responded as she opened the door and stepped out onto the hard concrete.

The moment she was out the air taxi sped away. ‘Clearly this place has quite the reputation’ Ahsoka thought as she glanced around at the dock. Judging by the drivers eagerness to leave, she did consider that she could be putting herself in danger by being here. There were some huge containers that were dumped around the platform, most of which were open. She assumed that they had just been abandoned or looted by whoever occupied this area. Ahsoka also noticed Oren’s speeder bike parked next to one of the huge crates, so she decided to start from there.

Unfortunately she had lost sight of the Ithorian once he had landed on the platform, so she had no idea where to start looking for him. Oren’s bike showed no indication to which direction he might have travelled, so Ahsoka decided to climb the large crate in order to get a better vantage point.

The climb was a simple feat for a Togruta of her skillset, and she quickly scaled the crate. Crouching on top so that she would be harder to see, Ahsoka peered over the crate. Below her was a large open space, alongside numerous flood lights. There was a small freighter docked on the platform and Ahsoka could also make out three figures. One of them was a short Ithorian, who Ahsoka presumed was Oren. However, the other two were hooded and she couldn’t make out who they were. She only wished she had a recording device so that she could identify the criminals, just like she did with Prime Minister Almec on Mandalore.

Deciding it would be best to watch for now, Ahsoka continued to observe the meeting below her. Closing her eyes and focusing through the force, she started to listen to their conversation.

“-you must be cautious. My contact has warned me that another party is aware of the cargo.” One of the hooded figures said to Oren, “Whatever you do, you must not open this box.”

And with that, the two figures returned to their ship and took off, leaving Oren on his own with the cargo. Ahsoka, guessing that now would be the best time to talk some sense into Oren, jumped down onto the platform below her. Oren was clearly startled as she seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“What are _you_ doing here?” he asked accusingly, pointing at Ahsoka and standing in front of the small crate containing the cargo.

“I was about to ask you the same question.” Ahsoka responded, taking a step towards the Ithorian.

To Ahsoka’s surprise, Oren quickly pulled out a DL-44 pistol from his belt and aimed it at her.

“Don’t come any closer!” he shouted, his hand shaking as he threatened her.

Ahsoka lifted her hands up slightly and took a step backwards. She was a little worried, as she had no way to defend herself. Sure, she could use the force if she needed to, but there was still a chance she could get hurt and the stakes were certainly much higher now.

“Oren,” she started as she took another step back, “I’m only trying to help you. You don’t realise the danger you are putting yourself in.”

Oren laughed, “Ha! Help me. You probably just want to kill me and take the cargo for yourself. My contact warned me about you, he had a feeling you would be involved somehow.” Oren stated as he continued to point the pistol at Ahsoka, who was now frowning at what he had said. How did his contact know about her?

“This cargo will change my life, it’s worth more than you could possibly imagine.” Oren continued as he continued to point the pistol at her.

“All the more reason why it’s obviously a set up.” Ahsoka replied. The Ithorian lowered the pistol for a second, considering her words, but then only to aim it back at her.

“What do _you_ know!” he shouted, “You’re just a _waitress_ , this doesn’t concern you.”

Ahsoka was a little hurt by this, as she was once a hero of the Republic, now a simple and meaningless waitress. Oren realised he had hurt her, but he showed no sign of remorse.

“Now you have me in a difficult position,” he continued, glaring at Ahsoka, “as my contact informed me to leave no witnesses.”

Ahsoka remained vigilant, showing no visible concern for his threats. “Killing me will only make this worse for you, Oren.”

Suddenly, a group of Weequay thugs surrounded them, most of them holding blasters.

“What do we have here, boys? Looks like we’re late to the party!” the lead Weequay spoke as he stepped forward.

He glanced at Ahsoka, and immediately looked startled. “Hold on a minute, I remember you.” he said as he pointed his blaster at Ahsoka.

The thug was the same Weequay who tried to jump her for the holodisk. ‘They must have followed Oren as well’, Ahsoka thought. Walking straight to the thug, she didn’t stop until she was in front of his blaster. She wanted to stand up to him, but the effect didn’t really work too well considering the thug was about a head taller than her.

“I remember you too, you ran away from me, _begging_ for your life as I put you back in your place.” Ahsoka remarked, a sense of humour in her voice.

Some of the other thugs let out a slight laugh at that, they probably hadn’t been informed that their leader was a coward.

The Weequay sneered, forcing the blaster below her chin. “I would be careful with what you say next young one, it would be a shame to ruin this pretty face of yours.” he said, earning a few laughs from some of the other thugs.

“Now then,” he continued as he pulled away the blaster from Ahsoka, “I think it would be wise for you to hand over that crate.”

“You dare to come here and take this from me,” Oren began to speak, “Do you have any idea what this is worth? _My-”_

The Ithorian was cut off by a blaster bolt that shredded through his chest. Dropping his blaster, Oren clasped at the wound in his chest, sighing slightly as he crumpled to the ground.

Ahsoka felt a momentary darkness within her, “You’re going to pay for that.” she muttered, glaring at the Weequay.

He laughed, meeting Ahsoka’s glare, “No. I’m going to _profit_ from that!” he stated, now pointing the blaster at her.

Ahsoka was quick to react, grabbing his wrist and twisting it, forcing him to drop his blaster on the ground. She gave him a swift elbow to the gut, and then twisted him around in a headlock so that he was facing his men. They all raised their blasters, but hesitated. Using their leader as cover, Ahsoka began to slowly walk backwards, dragging the Weequay with her.

“Shirak, what should we do?” one of the thugs shouted. Ahsoka glanced behind her and then back to the thugs in front of her.

“You’d better be careful unless you want to use your friend here for target practise.” Ahsoka replied, tightening her grip on the Weequay boss Shirak.

Shirak simply sighed, “You can’t hold me forever. The question is, _what are you going to do now?”_

Ahsoka considered this. She didn’t really have a way out of this one. The moment she let go of Shirak the other thugs would open fire, possibly killing her if she didn’t act quickly enough. Having a quick glance around Ahsoka noticed five of them, each one having a blaster. Even with the force she didn’t fancy her chances.

Ahsoka was brought out of her thoughts suddenly as a red blaster bolt impacted one of the thugs standing before her, hitting his chest and launching the now lifeless body onto the ground. Turning around, Ahsoka saw a familiar face that she never expected to see here.

Stood next to the large industrial sized crate behind her was Jacen, who was aiming a WESTAR-34 blaster at the group of thugs. Gone were the simple civilian clothes, as he was now wearing a sleek black leather jacket with a white shirt, which contrasted with his slightly tanned skin tone nicely. He also now wore some brown trousers with black knee guards, as well as a pair of dark grey boots.

Using this momentary confusion to her advantage, Ahsoka threw Shirak towards his men, knocking a few of them off of their feet. Scrambling towards a nearby crate for cover, a small firefight broke out between Jacen and the remaining two Weequay thugs. After hitting one of the thugs with a precise shot to the head, Jacen rolled down to where Ahsoka was taking cover.

“I thought you were a _simple merchant_ from Naboo?” Ahsoka asked sarcastically, giving him a smile, “Thanks for the save!”

“Well, we all have a few secrets or two!” Jacen replied as he stood out of the cover to return fire.

Ahsoka looked a little guilty for a few moments, knowing she hadn’t exactly been entirely truthful with him.

Shirak and the other thugs had clambered back up, also taking cover behind a few crates. Jacen ducked back down again, “Here, take this.” he said as he unclasped a second WESTAR-34 blaster from his belt, handing it to Ahsoka. “I want it back though.” he said with a smirk.

“That’s fine, blasters aren’t really my thing.” Ahsoka replied, taking the gun from him with a smile.

They both began to return fire, Ahsoka striking one of the thugs in the chest with her first shot.

 _“Nice shot.”_ Jacen remarked as they both took cover again. “I wouldn’t expect a university student to be so proficient with a blaster.”

Ahsoka looked away from his gaze for a moment. The force was able to guide her, sometimes without even realising it, often granting precise blaster shots and other feats that would often be referred to as ‘miracles’ by non-force users. She made a mental note to miss a few shots on purpose.

“I adapt quickly, besides, there’s nothing wrong with knowing how to defend myself.” Ahsoka replied, firing as she spoke. Jacen smirked and nodded, standing up to take a few more shots at the remaining thugs.

The thugs were falling in numbers rapidly, obviously not prepared for any kind of resistance. Shirak began to panic, and as a last resort he decided to throw a couple of thermal detonators towards Ahsoka and Jacen. Immediately noticing the incoming danger, Ahsoka tackled a standing up Jacen, pulling them both onto the ground.

 _“Detonators!”_ she yelled as they fell, which was shortly followed by a large blast that engulfed the majority of the platform in flames. Luckily, the crates besides Ahsoka and Jacen prevented them from being obliterated. Taking this as his opportunity to escape, Shirak sprinted away with his remaining men.

“You okay?” Ahsoka asked Jacen after a few seconds had passed, the explosion still causing a shrill ringing sound in her montrals.

Jacen opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his head with his hand due to the fall. Looking up, he noticed how Ahsoka was straddling him, giving him a warm, excited feeling in his chest. He looked into her eyes, “Yeah, thanks for saving me back there.” he said as he gave her an embarrassed smile.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, her skin turning a little darker as she blushed, also noticing the awkward position they were both in.

Standing back up, Ahsoka offered Jacen her hand to help him up too. He graciously accepted with a smile.

“We’re _even_ now.” Ahsoka replied, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder once he was up.

Looking around, Ahsoka noticed that the thugs had vanished, or at least the ones that were left anyway.

“We made quite a good team back there.” Jacen noted, as if reading Ahsoka’s thoughts. They both observed the mess before them. They had taken out at least three of the thugs, wounding another.

Looking at the blaster pistol she still had in her hand, she offered it back to Jacen, “Thanks for the help,” she started to say as he retrieved the gun with a nod of the head, “what’s a simple trader like you doing with weapons like this anyway?”

Jacen laughed slightly, clipping the pistols to his belt, “It’s a long story, maybe I can tell you more about it when you take me out next?” he offered with a flirtatious smile.

Ahsoka grinned, meeting his gaze, “Perhaps, if you’re lucky. I guess I do owe you for the next night out.”

Ahsoka then noticed a small crate in the distance, as well as a corpse on the floor. Her thoughts immediately went to Kendar. She felt a strong sense of guilt cross her body. How was she going to explain what had happened to his brother? She needed to tell him, but she couldn’t see herself working in the bar anymore, not after this. She had come here to protect him, but instead she had just made the situation worse. If she hadn't been there Oren might have escaped the thugs in time. Jacen also glanced at the crate, then looked back to Ahsoka.

“I’m guessing we’re both here for the same thing?” he asked, earning a curious look from Ahsoka.

“You know about the cargo too?” she responded, a little surprised.

“I got a tip from one of the local barkeeps, he claims he heard about a valuable cargo being dropped off at this dock.”

“I see,” Ahsoka said thoughtfully, glancing back at the cargo, “Any ideas what’s inside?”

“Nope, but it’s gotta be worth something with all of the attention, it's almost as if everyone on Coruscant knows about it.” Jacen joked as he focused on the crate.

The two walked over to the crate, both inspecting it intently. Ahsoka felt a strange connection to whatever was inside, as if it was pulling her to open it. She also noticed that there was a Republic symbol marked on the lid of the crate, meaning whatever was inside had been ordered by someone influential within the Republic. Unfortunately, with Oren now dead, there was no link to whoever the ‘contact’ was.

Kneeling down, Ahsoka placed her hand on the lid. Once again, she felt a strange connection to the contents, and the calling sound continued. Pressing the button on the control panel, the lid unlocked and Ahsoka slowly pulled it off.

“I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed in a shocked tone. Jacen peered into the crate.

“What are they?” he asked, frowning.

Ahsoka closed her eyes, confused and concerned. _“Kyber crystals.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, Kyber crystals, Palpatine is playing a dangerous game. What do you think he was planning to use them for?
> 
> Firstly, I really wanted to include a scene wih Ahsoka and Jacen, just so they could get to know each other a little more and become better friends. This also needed to happen so they still have a way to contact each other. I hope you didn't mind this scene, I personally really enjoyed writing it but my opinion is probably biased.
> 
> I also decided to have Ahsoka say that she was studying at the Republic Univeristy. I feel this makes more sense than the 'Skywalker Academy' from season 7. Considering Anakin is literally a war hero for the Republic and everyone knows of his exploits in canon, I find it hard to believe that Trace has never heard of him. I thought it would make sense for her to say engineering as her subject, considering she knows a fair amount about starfighters etc. I was going to have her say she studied at a military academy, but I changed my mind at the last minute.
> 
> I also wanted to include a little bit of detail about Ahsoka's headdress, as I think it's a really interesting part for her character development that was never mentioned in TCW.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed the fight scene on the dock. I really enjoyed writing it despite it being quite hard to depict the action with words. Oren's death was probably quite unexpected, although I wouldn't really consider him a main character which is why I didn't go into too much detail.
> 
> As for Jacen showing up, I hope you enjoyed that little surprise. I didn't want him to be a simple merchant, and I thought having him as a smuggler/bounty hunter type character would make for an interesting plot twist. Let me know what you think! :) Also the blasters that he uses are the same design as Jango Fett's blasters, just in case you like to visualise as you read.
> 
> A few important last notes here. Firstly, the Kyber crystals are from Christophsis which was a big exporter of this resource. I thought it would be cool to have them secretly delivered without the Jedi being aware. 
> 
> Anakin is still fighting at Ringo Vinda, just in case you were lost with the timings of the story. So no, we haven't even entered season 7 territory yet, there's a lot more to go yet.
> 
> One final note, just to clear something up. TCW is not in chronological order, which is why Palpatine has control of the banks despite that being in season 6. I am following this order if you would like to check it to see what events have already happened before Ahsoka left the Order- https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/35ex94/the_clone_wars_ultimate_episode_order/
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know in the comments if you enjoyed. Really sorry for the long end notes too! :)


	6. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Jacen decide what to do with the crystals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy, let me know what you thought in the comments!

** CORUSCANT - DOCKING PLATFORM 7-B **

Ahsoka continued to stare in disbelief at the sight before her. Kyber crystals, the main source of power for a Jedi’s lightsaber, were now being smuggled into the Capital of the Republic. At first glance, there were probably around fifty of them in the crate.

Whilst the Jedi used the crystals for good, they could also be harnessed for other uses, many of which could be very dangerous if in the wrong hands. This was the main source of her concern, as if they were being smuggled in she was certain they were being used for something dangerous.

Even worse was the fact that this shipment was authorised by someone high up in the Republic ranks. Clearly they didn’t want the authorities to find out about this particular delivery, and it only made Ahsoka ever more curious about who would have a use for these crystals in the Republic.

“ _Kyber crystals?_ Don’t the Jedi use those?” Jacen asked out loud. For a moment, Ahsoka had forgotten he was even there, as she was too focused on the crystals before her.

“To power their lightsabers, yes.” Ahsoka responded as she glanced at him, “Something we studied at the University.” she added quickly, not wanting to sound like she knew too much about the Order.

Jacen, feeling more than a little curious, reached down to the crate and pulled out one of the tiny crystals.

“Intricate little things, aren’t they?” he said as he turned the crystal between his fingers as he examined it.

“Their ability to channel energy is unmatched, they can be very dangerous if in the wrong hands.” Ahsoka replied as she rubbed her forehead. The explosive blast from earlier had given her quite the headache. Not wanting to cause any more destruction, Jacen quickly placed the crystal back in the crate.

“What are we going to do with them?” he asked, turning away from the crate and looking at Ahsoka, “Should we take them to the authorities?”

“You see that there?” Ahsoka replied as she pointed at the Republic insignia on the crate, “That means that someone in the Government has ordered and authorised these crystals. We can’t risk handing them to the authorities.”

Jacen frowned, nodding his head in agreement, “Well, whatever we’re doing we need to do it fast. Those thugs might come back soon and in greater numbers.”

“Agreed.” Ahsoka responded simply as she knelt back down to the crate.

“We could take them to my airspeeder whilst we decide?” Jacen suggested, Ahsoka nodding in agreement and placing the lid back on the crate.

Ahsoka picked up the crate, despite Jacen insisting he would carry it, and the two quickly walked over to the airspeeder.

“What about Oren?” Ahsoka asked as she placed the crate in the back of the speeder.

“We will have to leave him here for the authorities to collect. I’m sorry Ahsoka but we can’t take a body with us around Coruscant, they will arrest us on sight.” Jacen replied as he jumped into the speeder, activating the engines. Ahsoka, understanding where he was coming from, jumped into the passenger seat beside him.

“Any ideas?” she asked, looking at Jacen.

“Well, we could always try to sell them?” he offered, earning a glare from Ahsoka, _“What?”_ he asked innocently.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, “Like I said earlier, the crystals can be dangerous. We can’t just sell them to some trader on Coruscant!”

Jacen sighed, “Okay then, we could take them to the Jedi? It’s probably the safest place for them.”

Ahsoka looked away from Jacen and to the streets of Coruscant. She still hadn’t told him the whole truth about her past, and she really didn't want to set foot in the temple again.

“Or we could take them to the Chancellor? I’m sure he would be able to help us. I highly doubt he would be involved in any way.” Jacen offered, picking up on her reluctance.

Both were valid choices, but Ahsoka didn’t really want to do either. The Jedi were the sensible choice to go to, especially considering they were the keepers of the crystals. But after all that had happened, she didn’t know if she could even trust the Council to take care of the crystals.

Then there was the Chancellor. Ahsoka recalled Anakin always speaking highly of Palpatine, who had always been a good mentor and friend for him. If Anakin trusted him, then Ahsoka guessed she could too. Although, she couldn’t help but remember how Palpatine was ready to condemn her to death for a crime she didn’t commit. She didn’t exactly hold it against the man, as he was only doing his job, but he didn’t exactly show much support for her either.

“Ahsoka?” Jacen asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry. I think we should take them to the Chancellor. Maybe he can find out who ordered the crystals?”

“Good thinking, it’s getting pretty late though. We might be able to arrange an emergency meeting if you think that’s the best choice?”

“I do, let’s get going.”

The speeder quickly took off from the docks, heading straight for the Senate Complex. All the while Ahsoka wondered if they were making the correct choice. She knew that there would be no way the Chancellor could be involved in this. Anakin held him in high respect, and he would have mentioned it if there was a more sinister side to the man. Besides, in the few times she had met him, he was always very caring and compassionate. If anyone would help them get to the bottom of this it had to be him.

* * *

**CORUSCANT HIGHWAY**

“How come you were down at the docks?” Jacen asked suddenly as he turned his head to Ahsoka, then back to the controls.

“I overheard Kendar and Oren talking about a dangerous delivery.” Ahsoka quickly responded, besides, she was being honest. “I thought it was quite clear it was a trap, and I owed it to Kendar to look out for his brother, as he helped me out when I was in a tough spot.”

Jacen gave her a small smile as he looked between her and the speeder controls, “I’ve got to admit, you were very brave going in there without any weapons. But it was also very foolhardy. _You could have died!_ ” he exclaimed, a little angry at Ahsoka because of how rash she had been.

Ahsoka sighed, looking away from Jacen’s concerned eyes, “I know, I know, it probably wasn’t the best idea looking back. I just couldn’t sit by and do nothing. I still owe you one for helping me out back there too.”

Jacen laughed, “We’re even now, remember? You still owe me that drink though!” he winked at her, and then continued to drive.

Glancing back to Ahsoka, he noticed she was sulking slightly. “Something on your mind?” he asked, glancing back to the controls in front of him.

Ahsoka let out a sigh, “I feel responsible for Oren.” she said suddenly as she looked down at her feet, “I feel like he might have survived had I not gotten involved.”

“Ahsoka, listen to me. Had you not have been there the thugs would have gotten away with the crystals. Who knows what they would have done with them if they had escaped! You said it yourself, they are dangerous in the wrong hands!” Jacen exclaimed, then shooting Ahsoka a reassuring smile, “Oren understood the risk he was taking. Sure, it was quite foolish, but that’s the nature of these jobs. You did everything you could to help him.”

Ahsoka felt a little reassured after this, but she still felt quite guilty for what had happened. She had gone there to help Oren, not let him be killed by some thugs. She cursed herself for not acting quicker, using her force powers to push the thugs away before they could attack. Even if it had put her at risk, at least she could have saved him.

“Besides, it looked like you handled yourself quite well down there before I saved the day,” Jacen teased, earning a smirk from Ahsoka, “How’d you get one of them in a headlock anyway?”

“My brother taught me how to defend myself, just in case.”

“Well, remind me not to cross you then.” Jacen responded in a lighthearted tone, head turning back to the controls, “We’re coming up on the Senate building now.”

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING**

The walk up to the Senate Building was very peaceful, the area much cleaner and maintained than the lower levels of Coruscant. Ahsoka wouldn’t even deny that she missed the incredible architecture of the many skyscrapers around the planet-wide city. She thought back to the first time she was brought here by the Jedi, she was overwhelmed by the concept of trillions of people living on one planet.

Now she was older and mature, Ahsoka realised that the vast and grand cityscape was just a coverup for the poor conditions of the lower levels. Ever since the war had started, crime rates throughout the city had skyrocketed, the lower levels being the prime area for criminal syndicates to flourish and prosper.

As the pair reached the entrance to the building, they were stopped by two Senate Guards.

“Halt!” one of them stated, raising his hand to motion them to stop walking, “We need to see your identification.”

Ahsoka stepped forward, “There’s no time,” she motioned towards Jacen who had insisted he carried the small crate this time, “the Chancellor must see the contents of this crate, it’s urgent!”

The guards looked at each other, then back to Ahsoka, “Regardless, we need your identification.” he said a little forcefully this time.

Ahsoka sighed as she glanced at Jacen. Luckily he wasn’t paying much attention as he was trying not to drop the crate, which was a little heavier than it looked. Deciding it was her best shot, she turned back to the guard. _“_

_You don’t need to see our identification.” _she whispered quietly, waving her hand discretely as she spoke.__

The guard hesitated for a moment, “I- I don’t need to see your identification.”

Ahsoka smirked slightly, the other guard looking a little confused.

_“You will contact the Chancellor.” _she then said, waving her hand discreetly once more.  
__

__“I will contact the Chancellor.” he replied, hand reaching to the side of his helmet to patch into the comms._ _

“Chancellor, we have two individuals to see you.” Ahsoka could hear the muffled response from who she presumed to be Palpatine, “Yes Sir, they say it’s urgent- yes, they have a crate with them.”

There was a short pause before the muffled voice returned, “A Togruta female and Human male- very well Sir.”

The guard then looked back to Ahsoka, “You must both come with me.” he said, nodding to the other guard as the two then turned to walk towards the entrance. Ahsoka, glanced at Jacen, giving him a smile. She noticed the confusion in his eyes, as they had somehow just been admitted into the Senate Complex without any authorisation. The pair then followed the two guards into the building.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE**

Palpatine sat eagerly at his desk, waiting for his guests to arrive. He couldn’t believe his luck, as this was a possibility he did not foresee. Ahsoka Tano had intercepted the crate, a fact he had already anticipated. But to bring it to him rather than the Jedi Council!

Palpatine smiled at his own thoughts. Perhaps she could become another tool to use against the Jedi? Maybe she would be easier to manipulate than he had originally thought. Only time would tell.

Palpatine was brought out of his thoughts as the control panel on his desk began to flash. They had finally arrived. Palpatine cleared his throat as he pressed the comlink, “Enter.” he spoke clearly. The doors at the entrance of his office opened, Palpatine standing up to welcome his guests.

“Ah, Ahsoka Tano isn’t it?” he said as he walked over to them.

Ahsoka gave a gracious smile to Palpatine, but she couldn’t help but notice the confusion in Jacen’s force signature. ‘This one’s going to be hard to explain’ she thought to herself, knowing that no average citizen would be recognised by the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

“Yes, Your Excellency.” Ahsoka replied humbly, yet a slight bitterness in her tone. The last time they had met the Chancellor was ready to send her to be executed. Luckily, the Chancellor didn’t seem to pick up on this.  
Palpatine then looked at Jacen, “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we have met before?” he asked a stunned Jacen, who was surprised he was even talking to the man who runs the Republic.

“I’m Jacen, Sir.” he said awkwardly, bowing his head slightly as a sign of respect. Palpatine didn’t seem to mind however, and he proceeded to gaze at the crate that Jacen was still holding.

“Is this the crate that is of such importance?” he asked as he turned back to Ahsoka.

“Yes, Chancellor. We prevented the crate from falling into the hands of criminals.” Ahsoka responded, motioning for Jacen to put the crate on the floor. Kneeling down, she unlocked the crate and carefully removed the lid. “They were smuggling Kyber crystals, but for what purpose, we’re not sure.” she added as she stood back up to look at the Chancellor.

Palpatine studied the contents for a few moments, “Surely this is a matter for the Jedi Council to handle, my dear?” Palpatine asked as he arched his eyebrow slightly.

Ahsoka quietly sighed, “We were hoping you would be able to help us identify the people responsible.”

“The crate has the Republic’s insignia, which means someone in the Government has ordered them.” Jacen added, standing besides Ahsoka.

Palpatine cursed himself mentally, realising he hadn’t accounted for such a flaw in his plan. He made a note to consult Tarkin about this particular blunder, having trusted him not to miss out such an obvious sign. He had trusted his officers too much, clearly.

He gave the pair a thoughtful look as he considered how to respond.

“I find this information very- concerning. Perhaps the Separatists have influenced our own ranks.” he suggested, then giving them both a warm smile, “Regardless, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will personally look into this matter and take the necessary precautions.”

Ahsoka then took a small step towards the Chancellor, “What about the crystals?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

“They will be taken care of, I assure you my dear.” he responded, “You have both done a great service to the Republic, you will be well compensated for your efforts.” Palpatine said as he looked between Ahsoka and Jacen.

“Thank you.” Ahsoka replied politely, “There was quite a fight down at the docks, would you be able to send someone to retrieve the fallen?” she asked.

Palpatine smiled slightly, knowing that this meant his contact had perished therefore removing any evidence of his own involvement. “I will make the necessary arrangements, don’t worry. I will also set up an account for each of you with a small reward as compensation, the guards will give you the access codes before you leave.”

He then turned to Jacen, “Young man, would you mind giving Ahsoka and I a moment?” he asked, giving Jacen a polite smile.

“Of course, thank you Chancellor.” he replied as he bowed his head slightly, giving Ahsoka a ‘we need to talk later’ look, then walking back towards the entrance.

Palpatine waited until Jacen had left, motioning for his guards to leave as well. He then turned back to Ahsoka who was waiting patiently.

“I wanted to offer a personal apology, as well as one on behalf of the entire Republic for how you were wrongly accused at your trial.” he said as he began walking towards the large window in his office, motioning for Ahsoka to follow.

Ahsoka walked besides him, “Thank you Chancellor, that means a lot.”

Palpatine merely smiled as he continued to glance out of the window, “The fact that the Jedi decided to so easily turn away one of their own still confuses me. I thought the Jedi looked out for their own?” Palpatine asked as he glanced at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka sighed, “I once thought that too,” she muttered as she stared into the vast cityscape, “I feel lost, as though I suddenly don’t have a purpose anymore. That Order was my life.”

Palpatine rested his hand on her shoulder as a feeling of comfort, “I’m sure a path will open up soon, my dear. You still have your whole life ahead of you. Anakin has always spoken very highly of your abilities and talents.” Ahsoka then looked to Palpatine at the mention of Anakin.

“The last I heard the Council were sending him to Ringo Vinda,” Palpatine continued, “although they have yet to update me on the situation.”

Ahsoka was confused at this. The Jedi should be reporting to the Chancellor as often as they could, especially considering he was the current leader of the Republic. Although the fact they had sent Anakin on an assignment so soon after what had happened at the trial did not surprise her. Ahsoka expected nothing less from the Council at this point.

“I’m sure they will have made the correct decision, Anakin is certainly very capable.” she responded, not entirely believing what she had said. It wasn’t often that the Council seemed to make correct decisions.

Palpatine sighed slightly, then offered Ahsoka another smile, “Nethertheless, I would like to once again thank you for bringing the crystals to my attention. If there is someone in the Republic who is working for the Separatists, I am sure we will be able to find them soon.”

“I was happy to be of service, Chancellor. It was the right thing to do.” she responded, returning the smile.

Palpatine could sense that something was still bothering Ahsoka, so he decided to press the matter. “Is there anything you would like to add?” he asked softly, not wanting to sound suspicious.

Ahsoka sighed, looking up to the Chancellor again, “I’m worried about the crystals, Chancellor. If someone in the Government is ordering these in secret, they can’t be up to any good.”

Palpatine considered what she was saying. He needed to persuade her that the crystals would be in safe hands, otherwise he would have to have them sent to the temple. Palpatine knew that he couldn’t risk having the crystals linked to him, as it would not look good for his political image. The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, secretly smuggling highly dangerous crystals into one of the most populated planets in the galaxy. He couldn’t afford such a risk, it could compromise his grand plan.

“Perhaps it would ease your mind to escort the crystals to the Ministry of Science?” Palpatine suggested as he glanced at Ahsoka.

“The Ministry of Science? Why are the crystals being sent there?” Ahsoka asked, more than a little confused. She had expected the crystals to be sent to a vault, or at least back to the temple.

“I believe it would be in our best interest to study the Kyber crystals.” Palpatine continued as he observed the outside of his window, “If we could refine it to some kind of energy source, perhaps we could bring a faster end to the Clone War?”

Ahsoka was a little shocked at what the Chancellor was suggesting. Testing the crystals on Coruscant could not be a good idea. She had heard stories about the Zillo Beast, which brought much destruction to Coruscant, yet the Chancellor insisted it be brought here against the Order’s advice.

“Chancellor, I must disagree. If something was to go wrong it would be putting billions, if not trillions of lives at risk!” Ahsoka argued, turning away from the window.

The Chancellor turned to his desk and took a seat, motioning for Ahsoka to do the same in one of the empty chairs before him. “My dear, you have to understand the opportunity before us. If this has a chance of ending the needless suffering across the Galaxy, then I am more than willing to try it.”

Ahsoka sighed as she took a seat, “Then perhaps you could send the crystals to study on a more remote planet?” she suggested, still not sold on the idea of studying the crystals on Coruscant.

Palpatine crossed his fingers as he placed his elbows on his desk, “I believe the safest place to study the crystals would be here on Coruscant, where we have some of our greatest minds and most sophisticated equipment. Surely that would lower the risk of something going wrong, no?”

Ahsoka couldn’t even try to deny that the Chancellor made some very good points. His logic was strategically sound, even if she didn’t fully agree with it on a moral level. ‘It’s probably what makes him such a good politician.’ she thought to herself. She couldn’t imagine the Jedi reacting very positively to this.

“I can see the benefits of such a study,” Ahsoka began to speak after a moment of thought, “but I can’t imagine the Council would approve. If I may, Chancellor, I believe it would be wise to consult the Council before you decide?”

Although she didn’t exactly trust the Council, she knew it was the right thing to do. It was only right to inform them of the discovery of the crystals and at least let them know what the Chancellor was planning to use them for.

“Of course, I will arrange a meeting for tomorrow. Perhaps you would like to join me? You did discover the crystals afterall, your insight on the matter would allow us to clearly answer any questions they may have.”

Ahsoka sighed and looked down. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to meet the Council again, especially not after everything that had happened. As if picking up on her thoughts, the Chancellor immediately offered her a comforting smile.

“I fully understand if you do not feel comfortable, although your presence will definitely be missed.” Palpatine stated, to which Ahsoka looked up at him and gave a small smile.

“I would be happy to be there, Chancellor.”

“Then it’s decided.” he exclaimed as he suddenly stood up from his seat, Ahsoka doing the same, “Come back here tomorrow morning and we will meet with the Council. Hopefully then we can try to find a new solution to ending this conflict.”

Giving a bow of the head out of respect, Ahsoka turned away and walked to the door. She felt as though she was making the correct choice. After all, the Chancellor had actually apologised to her and showed appreciation for her hard work, unlike some of the members of the Council.

She had a strong feeling the Council wouldn’t like her being involved with the Chancellor, but in a way she was looking forward to seeing Windu’s angry expression. If Republic scientists were able to refine the crystals into an energy source, then perhaps it would give the Clones the advantage they needed against the Separatists.

Stepping outside the Chancellor’s office, she immediately made eye contact with Jacen. She could see it in his eyes. He wanted answers, and Ahsoka wasn’t feeling too eager to answer them. Perhaps it would be best for her to tell him the truth now before she buried herself in more lies. She trusted him, and he didn’t seem to hold any grudge against the Jedi. She broke eye contact before he could ask any questions, instead looking towards the guards, who took that as their cue to lead them out of the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, looks like Palpy got the crystals in the end!
> 
> Going to be really busy over the next few weeks so there will only be 2 more updates in the next two weeks. Then it will be back to normal. 
> 
> I’m posting this from my phone so the format might be different.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to leave a comment! :)


	7. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka reveals more about her past and has difficulties with the Jedi Code.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, still have a lot going on at the moment so there will probably be one more update this week. After that, I will have more time again and will be posting at least two or three updates a week again. 
> 
> I’m still enjoying writing this, and the occasional comments and kudos are really keeping me going, so thank you. 
> 
> Don’t think that this is being abandoned because updates are quite slow at the moment. I have a plan for where this story is going to go, as well as plans for a sequel if this story is well received. 
> 
> Thank you, hope you enjoy! :)

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING**

The Senate Guards led Ahsoka and Jacen back out of the building. They walked in silence, but Ahsoka could sense that Jacen would start asking questions the moment they were alone. It didn’t surprise her at all, she would have done the same in his position.

Ahsoka could occasionally hear muffled conversations from the helmets of the guards. She wondered what they were talking about, as it was possible it was about herself and Jacen.

Once they reached the entrance, the guards suddenly stopped, with one of them turning around to face Ahsoka and Jacen. “The Chancellor has arranged a reward for the two of you as a thanks for your _services."_ he then paused, glaring at Ahsoka as though he didn’t agree with the Chancellor's decision, “The credits will be available for you tomorrow morning after your meeting with the Chancellor, Miss Tano.”

After that, the two guards left them at the stairs and continued with their patrol.

Jacen immediately walked in front of Ahsoka, looking straight into her eyes. “Okay, that went a little too well for my liking.” he said as he watched the guards leave.

“How do you mean?” Ahsoka asked, a little confused as she turned to face him.

“When exactly were you acquainted with the Chancellor of the Republic?” he asked, with a little tone of humour in his voice.

Ahsoka broke the eye contact as she looked away. “Jacen, _I- I don’t know what to say._ ” she muttered as she looked down.

He sighed, “You were a Jedi weren't you?” he asked, not expecting an answer back. Ahsoka’s silence only confirmed it. She began to walk back to the speeder, Jacen slowly following behind.

“What makes you think that?” she finally asked quietly after a long silence had passed between them.

“The way you were able to get us past those Senate Guards was a pretty obvious sign. I've never seen anything like it!” he joked, although he immediately regretted it after noticing Ahsoka didn’t laugh, yet she carried a great sadness with her. It was obvious to Jacen there was a bigger story behind this, and it definitely wasn’t a good one.

Ahsoka continued to slowly walk back to the speeder. “I think we need to talk,” she stated, turning her head back to Jacen and managing a small smile, “How about we get that drink I owe you?” she asked softly, to which Jacen nodded. The pair then proceeded to walk back to the speeder in silence as Ahsoka contemplated on how much she was willing to tell Jacen about her past.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE**

Palpatine considered the events that had played out over the past few hours. Luckily, the cargo of Kyber crystals had arrived on time and were in fine condition.

However, the contact had failed to deliver them to the Ministry of Science without the intervention of Ahsoka Tano, although that didn’t really surprise Palpatine that much. What did surprise him was that Ahsoka had chosen to bring the crystals to him, a scenario which he did not account for.

Unfortunately, she still wanted to inform the Jedi Council, something he didn’t want to do unless absolutely necessary. At least the crystals were here though, and he knew there would be a way to conduct tests whether the Jedi approved or not. For now, Palpatine knew that he needed to keep Ahsoka on his side, as it would definitely help in winning over the Council.

He then contacted Commander Krennic, who almost immediately answered.

“Ah, Chancellor. I am afraid to report that the cargo was not delivered to the Science Complex, I fear it may be lost.”

Palpatine smiled, intertwining his fingers, “Then I am the bearer of good news, Commander. The Kyber crystals were delivered to my office by none other than Ahsoka Tano.”

Krennic frowned slightly, “The Jedi didn’t return them to the temple?” he asked, somewhat shocked at this discovery. He was aware of the name ‘Ahsoka Tano’, one that had been all over the holonews recently.

Palpatine shook his head, “It would seem that the recent trial has reduced her trust in the Order. I am having the crystals delivered to the Science Complex tomorrow for a new ‘energy project’. See to it that tests begin as quickly as possible, as we must find a way to weaponize them so we can end this war.”

Krennic nodded in acknowledgement, “Of course, Chancellor, I will see to it personally.”

The transmission then ended, leaving Palpatine thinking about how to proceed next.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - LEVEL 1313**

The speeder ride from the Senate Complex had been uncomfortably quiet. Ahsoka could sense the unease from Jacen, and she knew he could probably feel the stress on her mind, despite Jacen not being force sensitive.

She was quite impressed that he had figured out her past, although looking back she didn’t exactly cover it up in the best way possible. She still felt incredibly guilty for lying to Jacen, although he didn’t seem to mind too much.

Jacen had insisted they go to a restaurant on the level 1313, one level above where Ahsoka was currently staying. She had heard a lot of bad stories about 1313, especially due to it being Coruscant’s most infamous level with all of the crime in the area. Ahsoka was used to these conditions now though, and had already come to terms with the fact that this is how life would be for a while.

Jacen had picked the restaurant well, Ahsoka leaving the choice to him as her experience in these areas was quite limited. Called ‘The Wharf’, the restaurant sat in one of the nicer areas of the underworld. There was a small and pretty lake which acted as a docking area for speeders, in which you would land on an outstretched platform. The lake itself looked fairly clean, which surprised Ahsoka considering the amount of pollution on Coruscant due to the sheer amount of inhabitants. The restaurant itself was lit up with a few bright lights, and the platform hosted a small, outdoor seating area.

The pair exited the speeder and walked towards the outdoor area. Ahsoka noticed that it was pretty empty, which she didn’t expect considering it was getting quite late. Areas like this were usually packed at night. ‘At least it won’t be difficult to get a table.’ Ahsoka thought to herself as she glanced at Jacen. He still hadn’t said much to her since leaving the Senate Building. Ahsoka expected him to be angry for lying for all this time, although he felt calm. He just wanted the truth.

Sitting down at a fairly secluded table from the rest of the seating area, Ahsoka decided that she needed to end the awkward silence that had broken out between them. “Jacen, I think there are a few things I need to clear up with you.” she said, giving him a hopeful look.

He sat down at the seat opposite her, looking into her eyes, “Ahsoka, I can understand if you don’t want to talk about your past if you don’t feel comfortable. You can tell me when you feel ready.” he replied, giving her a warm smile.

Ahsoka appreciated his concern, but it was only fair he knew the truth. “Thank you, but I would like to tell you a bit more about my past.” Jacen nodded, looking at her intently, “Yes, I was a Jedi. Although I walked away from the Order, almost a week ago now.”

Jacen was a little shocked at this, as hearing her actually confirm his theory was quite surprising. “Wow, I was sort of throwing in a wild guess there, I didn’t expect you to actually be a Jedi. How come you left the Order?” he asked.

Ahsoka sighed and looked away, “I’m not sure if I feel like talking about that yet,” she said with sorrow in her voice. The betrayal of Barriss had hit her hard and she was still recovering emotionally from the whole ordeal. She then met Jacen’s gaze, “I thought the Order was no longer what it once was, so I decided to leave it behind.”

“So you fought in the war?” he questioned, a curious look in his eyes.

“Yes, I did. More battles than I could possibly count. I started fighting for the Republic when I was only fourteen.” she said, letting out a small laugh when she saw Jacen’s eyes widen in surprise.

“You were fighting at fourteen?” he asked in disbelief. “I can’t believe the Jedi would send someone so young to fight in a war.”

Ahsoka sighed at his response, knowing how wrong it was when you looked at it like that. Even the clones were a similar age, only made older through growth acceleration.

“So that’s how we got by those guards so easily! Did you do a Jedi mind trick or something?” he continued, earning a humble nod from Ahsoka. Jacen still couldn’t believe that she was once a Jedi, and that she had also risked her life for so many people at such a young age. He had never witnessed any Jedi powers before, and he wasn't disappointed at all.

“Whilst I don’t exactly agree with younger Jedi being made Commanders, it did help with my training and made me a better Jedi.” Ahsoka responded quietly as she thought about whether she even agreed with what she had just said.

“I’m guessing you can be quite intimidating then?” he asked somewhat playfully, earning a smirk from Ahsoka.

_“Would you like to find out?” _she whispered to him seductively. Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was doing. Was she actually just _flirting _with someone?____

Before Jacen could come up with any response, a service droid walked over to their table and handed them a menu. Ahsoka glanced straight down to the drinks, as she wasn’t feeling like anything to eat. “I think I will just have a Merenzane Gold please.” she said after a short while, nodding to the droid.

“Interesting choice, rather exotic. Make that two.” Jacen responded, giving Ahsoka a smile.

The droid left and the two were in silence again, but it was Jacen who decided to break it this time. “So, is that why you were so reluctant to take the crystals to the Jedi Council?” Jacen asked, as Ahsoka turned her head to look back at him.

“Yes, I didn’t trust that they would be able to keep them safe.”

Jacen was a little taken back by this, as he had always considered the Jedi to be trustworthy and honest. They had, afterall, aided in freeing his planet from the Trade Federation. He was probably one of the few people on Coruscant who held them in high regard.

The service droid suddenly returned with their drinks, placing them on the table and then walking off again. “Do you not trust anyone in the Order? I was under the assumption that the Council were the best of the Jedi?” he asked as he took a sip from his drink.

Merenzane Gold was amber in colour and was definitely one of the more exotic drinks on offer. It was good quality, but this was reflected in the price, making it one of the more fairly expensive drinks.

“Well, my Master always had my back, especially when I needed help most. I can’t really say the same for the others.” she responded bitterly. This picked up Jacen’s interest however, as clearly something had happened that had shaken the Jedi’s trust in her.

“My Master was certainly one of a kind.” she continued as he listened patiently, “He was an exceptional warrior, and you certainly wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him. But he was also very kind and passionate, and he cared for his friends deeply.”

Ahsoka then fell silent, a sad expression taking her face. “Who was your master?” Jacen asked.

“Anakin Skywalker.”

Jacen’s face was priceless, and it certainly cheered Ahsoka up seeing his reaction. “ _The _Anakin Skywalker? He’s practically famous!” he exclaimed, barely containing his excitement, much to Ahsoka’s amusement.__

The two joked for a short while, and Ahsoka shared a few stories from her time in the war. She explained how she had been able to create a fleet maneuver, the Marg Sabl, to destroy a Separatist fleet over Ryloth. She decided to leave out the trial, and how she had to escape the Clones to prove her innocence, as she really didn’t want to talk about that right now with the memories still being fresh.

They eventually began to talk about their meeting with the Chancellor again, “So, what exactly are you meeting the Chancellor for tomorrow?” Jacen asked as he finished his drink.

“He is informing the Jedi Council on what he plans to use the crystals for.” Ahsoka replied, she then looked into his eyes, “I’m going with him to explain what happened at the dock. You’re welcome to come too if you want, I'm sure the Chancellor wouldn’t mind.”

Jacen considered this for a moment, “Ah, maybe I will, although I’m sure he would have requested for me to attend if he actually wanted me to be there.”

“Honestly, I think he would appreciate it if you were there. From what I gathered the Council don’t exactly trust the Chancellor all that much.” Ahsoka said a little disgusted as she took a sip from her drink.

Jacen looked a little shocked at this revelation, “Why’s that?”

“They don’t trust many outside the Order ever since the war started, they’re more bothered with defending their public image.” Ahsoka replied, rolling her eyes slightly at the thought of the Council, “I think we made the right choice in taking the crystals to the Chancellor, although I don’t really agree with what he has planned for them.”

Jacen arched his eyebrow in interest, “What’s his plan?”

Ahsoka leaned in a little closer, “He wants to start a new energy project here on Coruscant.” she whispered so that nobody else could hear, “The technology is quite new, so there is a high risk, especially considering the amount of people who live here. Although the Chancellor believes this is the safest place for them.”

“He’s taking a huge risk in testing them on the Capital.” Jacen responded quietly, “Although I do have to agree with him. Coruscant hasn’t been invaded in over one thousand years. At least the Separatists won’t be able to get their hands on them.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure. What about the Separatist attack on the power generators?” Ahsoka argued back, “I think that made it quite clear that Coruscant isn’t as safe as people believe it to be.”

Jacen nodded his head. He had to agree with her on that one, as somehow the Separatists had infiltrated one of the most secure Republic planets. “Can we trust him though? It’s clear that someone in the Government is behind this.”

“Jacen, he is the Chancellor of the Republic, of course we can trust him. Besides, my Master has always held the man in great respect, so if he trusts him then so do I.” Ahsoka replied firmly, a little harsher than she had intended.

Jacen looked a little hurt, as he didn’t want to offend her, “I’m sorry Ahsoka, it’s just- what if we’re just helping whoever wanted the crystals in the first place? If the crystals are taken, they won’t be used for good.”

“It’s fine, the Chancellor wants me to escort the crystals to the Ministry of Science. I won’t let anyone get away with them.” Ahsoka responded, giving him a smile. This reassured him, knowing that he hadn't offended her in any way earlier. He just didn’t trust politicians all that much, especially after they hesitated in voting to help his home, Naboo, in its time of crisis.

A similar thought was going through Ahsoka’s head too. Sure, she knew that Palpatine was a politician and so that meant he had his own motives. But, Ahsoka was sure they were in the best interest of the Republic. She had also found it in her to trust him a little more, especially after he had at least offered an apology, something the Jedi had failed to do.

Ahsoka stretched slightly as she yawned, “Ugh, it’s getting late. I think I’d better be getting back now.” she said after finishing her drink.

“Of course,” Jacen responded, “I will drive you back to Kendar’s.”

Ahsoka stood up and walked over to the bar. She paid for the drinks, as she had promised, despite Jacen insisting he would pay, then the two walked back to the speeder.

Sitting inside, Ahsoka sighed as she looked towards Jacen who was just jumping into the driver’s seat. “You know, I’m not sure if I want to go to Kendar’s tonight. I’m not sure if he would even have me back there after I explain what happened to his brother.”

Jacen thought for a moment, then sat up suddenly with an idea, “You know- you could always, _well_ , stay at my place for the night?” he proposed giving her an awkward smile.

Ahsoka hesitated, “Uh, I’m not- I don’t know if that would be a good idea.” she responded quickly, looking away from him. Her emotions were a little out of balance, she hardly thought it would be a good decision. _‘What if things escalated? What if-‘_

“I have a spare room you can sleep in?” he offered, breaking her line of thought. “It’s fine if not, I’m sure we can find a bar or something with a room.”

Ahsoka thought for a moment, then looked back to him, “Okay Jacen, I will stay at your apartment if it isn’t too much trouble. Thank you.” she said with a grateful smile.

As long as she was sensible, she couldn’t see any harm coming from this. They were just friends after all.

He returned the smile, “You’re welcome, let’s get going.”

* * *

**CORUSCANT - 1313 - JACEN’S APARTMENT**

Jacen’s apartment was certainly much nicer than her own. It was much bigger, having four rooms and better quality furniture. And by that, Ahsoka meant that it wasn’t falling apart. The main living space was the largest, with an integrated kitchen area, a small table with a few chairs and a large couch facing a small but homely fireplace.

Sure, it was nothing like Senator Amidala’s apartment, but to say it was in the underworld of Coruscant, Ahsoka was quite impressed. “How’d you afford this place?” she asked as she examined the main room.

Jacen let out a slight laugh, “I told you, I’m a merchant!” he replied as he walked to the kitchen area.

“Right...” she sarcastically commented, rolling her eyes and catching a glimpse of the pistols at his side, “a _well armed_ merchant at that.”

He poured them both a small drink of alcohol, and she accepted it with a smile, then the two walked over to the couch by the fire.

“So then, how exactly were you able to afford all of this?” Ahsoka asked after taking a small drink.

“When I was a young boy back on Naboo, I ran a few errands. Saved my credits, bought myself a ride and came here.” he said as he quickly summed it up.

“That doesn’t explain the apartment, or the weapons.” Ahsoka commented, urging him to go into more detail. He obliged.

“After I got here, I started picking up the odd bounty. Separatists who were seeking refuge on Coruscant and the other core worlds. It was the least I could do to avenge my parents.” he said bitterly, taking a large drink from his glass.

Ahsoka gave him a sympathetic look, “I’m really sorry for what happened.”

“Don’t be, there’s nothing we can do about it. Besides, all things happen for a reason, right?” he replied as he looked into Ahsoka’s eyes, giving her a smile that caused Ahsoka to blush slightly.

The two then stared at the fire in front of them, the sound of the wood crackling was oddly soothing and peaceful, and it allowed Ahsoka to feel more relaxed than she had in a long time.

“You know, not all the Separatists are bad people.” she said, choosing her words carefully, “There are many good people in the Confederacy who want this war to end as much as we do.”

Jacen sighed, “Yeah, I know, but you know yourself how destructive those droids are. They are programmed to destroy and kill, they don’t care if you’re innocent.”

Ahsoka silently nodded, looking back to the fire. The battledroids weren’t exactly a good aspect of the Separatists, especially with all the destruction they caused on planets caught in the war.

“So then, if you were a Jedi, what happened to your lightsabers?” Jacen asked suddenly, looking her in the eye again.

“I left them behind at the Temple.” she said. It wasn’t exactly a lie, as Ahsoka herself didn’t even know what had become of her lightsabers. She had lost them whilst on the run, so she wouldn’t be surprised if they were somewhere in the underworld by now.

“I decided to start again, and I thought keeping my lightsabers with me would only make that harder.” Ahsoka stated, glancing at Jacen as she spoke, then back to the fireplace. She enjoyed watching the fire, something about it was so peaceful.

“Do you ever regret your choice to leave? I’d imagine it’s quite a change being down here.” Jacen said as he leaned back on the couch.

“You have no idea!” Ahsoka responded humorously, “I don’t really have an answer for that one. I do miss fighting alongside the Clones and feeling as though I have a purpose, but it’s nice to experience life in a different way too.”

A peaceful silence broke out between the two again as they continued to stare at the fire. “It’s stunning isn’t it.” said absentmindedly as he stared at the fire. Ahsoka said nothing, relaxing back in the chair. She noticed Jacen had moved a little closer to her, and it made her feel a slightly excited nervous.

He began to stretch, attempting to put his arm around Ahsoka-

“Uh, I think I might call it a night.” she said abruptly, causing Jacen’s arm to jump away quickly.

“Of course, Ahsoka, I will show you to your room.” Jacen replied hastily as he blushed slightly. He quickly stood up and avoided eye contact, walking straight to one of the doors.

She followed Jacen to a small bedroom, with a fairly large single bed and a window. There was a small closet and a mirror on one of the walls.

“Sorry, it’s not much. I don’t really have any visitors that often.” he said as he let her inside.

Ahsoka gave him a kind smile, “It’s more than enough, Jacen. Thank you.”

Jacen left and shut the door, giving her a slight nod as he did so. Unfortunately there were no bed clothes to wear, so Ahsoka knew she would just have to wear her usual outfit.

She thought back to a few minutes ago, ‘Had Jacen really just tried to _make a move _?’__ she thought to herself, blushing slightly at the thought. She wasn’t sure why she had been so abrupt with him, and she hoped she hadn’t hurt Jacen’s feelings. She was still unsure about attachments thanks to the code, and trust was certainly something she needed to build back up.

Her emotions were definitely a mess right now, and she wasn’t sure how to proceed. The Jedi code was _very _clear__ on its no attachments policy. Although she was no longer a Jedi, she still found herself looking back to the code that had been drilled into her as a youngling.

She was certain that not all Jedi followed it strictly. She knew that Anakin was definitely hiding something. Obi-Wan also clearly felt something for Satine. She wondered how many other Jedi didn’t follow the code they held so dearly.

Having one last stretch, she practically fell on the bed. The sheets were so soft and clean, and it instantly made Ahsoka feel very sleepy. The bed in her apartment was uncomfortable and the mattress was like sleeping on concrete. She often wondered if concrete would be more comfy than the old bed.

Closing her eyes as she rested her head on the soft pillow, Ahsoka quickly started to drift off, her head buzzing slightly due to the alcohol and everything she had experienced over the last week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, what did you think to this chapter?
> 
> I wanted Jacen to find out that Ahsoka is a Jedi at some point, and I thought it was pretty obvious at this point anyway. 
> 
> As for the bar that the two stay at, yes it is the same bar/restaurant as the one Ahsoka and Trace visit in Season 7. You can find more information or a picture of it via Google if you like to visualise whilst reading. :)
> 
> I realised I never made it clear which level Ahsoka was staying on, so I decided to make it level 1312. 
> 
> I thought it would be fitting for Ahsoka to stay at Jacen’s apartment, although it is wayyy to early for anything to happen between the two yet. Sure, something might happen soon, and I will definitely let you know in the start notes if a chapter contains any content that is 18+. I will also make sure that there is no important plot content in these chapters so that you can skip it if you don’t want to read without missing out on the story. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, posting from my phone again so the format might be slightly different.


	8. The Council Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka has a troubling vision and the Council make a decision. Ahsoka and Jacen have a bonding moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I finally have time to start writing again, which means that the next chapters will be much longer and will be posted more frequently. 
> 
> I hope you’re enjoying the story so far. Thank you so much for the comments and kudos, it is really keeping me motivated to write more. 
> 
> I’m quite new to AO3, and I’m using Google Docs to write then transferring this here. This means that the site makes some changes and I’m still learning how to revert this, such as writing in italics etc. Once I figure it out I will be sure to add them in. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one!

**CORUSCANT - 1313 - JACEN’S APARTMENT**

_Ahsoka stood on the bridge of a ship, staring out into the vast expanse of space. Glancing around, she noticed clone officers hard at work controlling the ship’s systems. The Admiral, a face she wasn’t familiar with, gave her a broad smile._

_“Quite the victory, eh Commander?” he said as he stood besides her.  
_

_“_ _Victory? What victory?” she asked, slightly confused at what she was doing on a Republic ship._

_“I’m sorry, Commander, I don’t understand. Were you injured in the battle?” he asked, sharing Ahsoka’s confusion._

_Ahsoka turned abruptly, noticing that she was standing on the bridge of a Venator. Two clones stood by the door, wearing an armour colour she was not familiar with. The troops were blurred slightly, but she could make out a hint of orange?_

_“Commander?” the Admiral asked, putting his hand on her shoulder._

_Ahsoka quickly looked back to him, confused and afraid. What was she doing on a Republic ship, and why was she a commander again?_

_“Where am I?” she asked, glancing around again. Many of the officers were now looking at her, each equally as confused._

_“Commander, I’m not sure I understand, are you feeling alright? You’re on the- ugh”_

_A blaster shot hit the Admiral in the chest, causing him to gasp and fall to the ground leaving Ahsoka staring in horror. Looking at the source of the blast, Ahsoka noticed that the Clones now had their blasters aimed at her._

_In a rush of adrenaline and panic, Ahsoka quickly reached for her lightsabers, but only to find her weapons missing._

_"My lightsabers, where are they?” she asked herself, horrified as the Clones approached her. “Troopers, stop!” she exclaimed as she took a step backwards._

_Finding that there was nowhere else to go, Ahsoka was pressed against the forward controls of the bridge. She noticed the Clone officers staring at her with disgust and hatred, as well as the two Clone troopers who were now approaching her._

_“Why are you doing this?” she asked, looking for a way to escape. There was none.  
_

_One of the troopers stepped forward, glaring down at her, “Good soldiers follow orders.” he said aggressively. He then took the shot, and Ahsoka screamed in pain._

* * *

Sitting up abruptly, Ahsoka was relieved to find she was still in Jacen’s apartment. “Just a dream, nothing more.” she said to herself as she panted, trying to regain her breath. It had felt so real, as if she was actually there on that Venator. Standing out of bed, she decided to get herself a glass of water to help calm down.

As she walked out of her room, she noticed a figure sitting on the couch. “Jacen?” she asked in a concerned tone.

He jumped slightly, making her feel bad for startling him, “Ahsoka? What are you doing up?” he asked.

“I was about to ask you the same thing.” she said with a slight smile.

It was early morning, she had probably slept for around six hours. She was used to not getting much sleep thanks to the war, although she did still feel quite sleepy.

She was a little confused at how Jacen was still awake. It didn’t even look like he had moved. ‘Surely he can’t have been sitting there all this time?’ Ahsoka thought to herself as she continued to look at Jacen.

“I was just getting myself a glass of water, if that’s okay?” she asked as she walked over to the kitchen area.

“Of course, help yourself.” he replied, “Having trouble sleeping?”

“Just a dream, nothing much.” she said quietly as she poured herself a glass of water. “Have you not slept yet?” she asked in a worried tone, moving to sit next to him.

He awkwardly moved up the couch to give her some space, clearly remembering what had happened earlier.

“I struggle to sleep most nights.” he said as he looked at the dying fire. All that remained were a few hot embers that released a warm, orange glow. “I have quite a lot on my mind.”

Realising she was probably intruding, Ahsoka quickly stood back up, “I’m sorry, I will leave you to your thoughts.” she said quickly, understanding that he might need some time alone. To her surprise however, Jacen lightly grabbed her arm.

“Uh, I don’t mind if you stay. I enjoy your company?” he said slowly and quietly, his eyes lighting up slightly as Ahsoka slowly sat back down. “I wanted to apologise about earlier.”

Ahsoka looked at him with an amused expression, but also feeling a little sympathetic, “For what?” she asked.

“I thought, well, I took it too far. I just enjoy spending time with you, that’s all.” he said slowly as he struggled to find the correct words.

Ahsoka sighed, knowing what he was getting at. She placed her hand on his as a sign of comfort, “Jacen, I- as a Jedi, we have a strict code and set of rules that must be followed. It does not allow for- attachments.” she said quietly, some sadness in her voice as she started to shift uncomfortably, “We must always put purpose before feelings.”

“But didn’t you leave the Order? Surely that’s no way to live your life?” he asked, a little shocked at how strict the rules were and not fully understanding the risks involved.

“I have, but I’m finding it hard to change. The Order was my life and the code was something I was brought up with. Sure, I don’t agree with it, but it is for my own protection, as well as those around me.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jacen asked.

“If I become too attached and let my emotions get ahead of me, I could fall to the dark side, even if I am no longer a Jedi.”

Jacen sighed, understanding how great the risks were. It only made him admire Ahsoka more however, as she was willing to give up parts of her own life for the good of others. “I’m sorry Ahsoka, I didn’t realise.”

Ahsoka gave him a comforting smile, “Don’t be, now try and get some sleep.”

She stood up, and Jacen immediately missed her warm and comforting hand. Her general presence was just soothing to be around, and he assumed that had something to do with the force. He watched her as she walked back to her room, giving him a kind smile before closing the door.

Jacen remained at the fire for a few moments, thinking over their conversation, then deciding he should follow her advice. He was feeling tired, but he knew he would be unable to sleep.

Walking into his room, he sat on the small double-sized bed. It was almost morning, and he hoped he would at least be able to catch a few hours of sleep before Ahsoka left to meet the Chancellor. He was still deciding whether to go with her, as he felt that he should be there to support her story. Then again, meeting the Jedi Council was no ordinary task, and it made him feel a little nervous to say the least.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE**

Palpatine was sitting at his desk as usual. He often slept little, using the early hours of the day to communicate with Dooku and develop new schemes for his plan.

He had Dooku keeping the Jedi occupied in the mid rim, who had informed him that the fighting over Ringo Vinda had reached quite a stalemate, just as he had planned. Palpatine wanted to draw out this particular battle for as long as possible, therefore increasing Anakin’s frustration and lack of faith in the Council. They would be unable to send reinforcements, and the fighting would only wear down himself and his men more and more.

Palpatine was slowly starting to pull out the darkness in Anakin, subtly grooming him for the role of a Sith Apprentice. He would be the finest yet, and would bring a new order to the galaxy.

Glancing out of his window, he noticed that the sun was beginning to rise, and that he would need to prepare for Ahsoka Tano’s arrival. So far, she had shown no suspicion and had actually opened up a little. This pleased Palpatine, as he knew he might be able to use her to aid in his plot, regardless of whether Ahsoka liked it or not.

He debated having Tarkin accompany them, but he decided against it considering he was the opposition in Ahsoka’s trial. He needed to keep her on his side for now, or at least whilst she was still of some use.

Pressing his comlink, Palpatine cleared his throat. “Commander Fox, please prepare the transport, I’m on my way down.”

“Yes, your Excellency.” came the gruff response of Fox.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - CHANCELLOR’S LANDING PAD**

Ahsoka and Jacen jumped out of the speeder and hastily walked over to the Chancellor’s ship. They were late, which Ahsoka wasn’t too pleased about. You couldn’t exactly hold up the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

She was pleased that Jacen had agreed to get some sleep, although his eyes looked heavy and it was clear he didn’t get much, if any. He had been kind enough to make Ahsoka a cooked breakfast once she was up though, which she was very grateful for.

Ahsoka still felt guilty after last night. She just wasn’t sure about her emotions yet.

Ahsoka took the lead, walking towards the ramp first, only to be stopped by a certain Clone Commander, clad in the red armour of the Coruscant Guard. “Identification please.” he stated as he glared down at Ahsoka.

Jacen noticed that Ahsoka practically scowled back at him, looking somewhat hostile. He assumed there was some bad blood between the two and he made a mental note to ask Ahsoka about it later.

Luckily, before Ahsoka could respond the soft voice of Chancellor Palpatine broke the tense aura around the two. “Commander, please allow our guests inside. We can’t keep the Jedi Council waiting any longer.”

Reluctantly, Fox stepped aside, allowing Ahsoka and Jacen into the ship. Ahsoka immediately walked up to the Chancellor, “Your Excellency, I’m so sorry we’re late.” she said humbly, bowing in his presence.

“Not to worry my dear, I'm glad you decided to join me. I see you brought your friend with you, Jacen is it?”

“Yes, I hope you don’t mind if he joins us?” Ahsoka asked for him as the two sat next to each other on the shuttle.

“Of course not my dear, I’m sure the Council would be glad to hear another point of view.” he spoke, then turning back to his advisor Mas Amedda who was sitting besides him.

Ahsoka knew exactly what the Chancellor was suggesting. It was unlikely that some members of the Council would even listen to what she had to say, especially after she had turned down their offer to rejoin. Maybe they would listen to a Republic citizen?

Glancing beside her to Jacen, she noticed he was sitting in the window seat and was observing the higher levels of Coruscant. He looked back to her, meeting her eyes, causing the two to blush slightly.

She still couldn’t understand why she felt so nervous, as she had been around boys before. Although she hadn’t exactly coped well with Lux. ‘Maybe I’m just helpless with boys.’ Ahsoka thought as she quickly looked away from Jacen, feeling ever more embarrassed.

Ahsoka also noticed Fox was standing at the front of the shuttle with a few clones of the Coruscant Guard. He was watching her, and Ahsoka could feel the suspicion and mistrust radiating from his force signature. Feeling displeased, Ahsoka quickly looked away from the Commander.

“What’s the history with you and the Clone?” Jacen whispered as he leaned towards her, noticing the tense atmosphere between them. This caused a warm feeling inside Ahsoka's body.

Ahsoka then sighed, “We had a- misunderstanding.” she whispered back, “It’s quite a long story, but we don’t exactly get along so well. Honestly, he’s probably one of the more aggressive commanders.” she said with a slight hint of disgust, Jacen picking up on how irked she was.

Jacen glanced at the Clone, who only stared right back at him with a hostile look. “I see what you mean.” he whispered jokingly, to which Ahsoka let out a slight laugh.

The two continued their small talk as the shuttle flew towards the Jedi Temple, only making Ahsoka more and more anxious as they got closer. She thought she had left this place for good, but now she was back and had to stand before the Council, the very Council who had thrown her out.

She was definitely feeling many emotions right now, and eager was not one of them.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - JEDI TEMPLE - COUNCIL CHAMBERS**

“I find this news most disturbing, Chancellor. I think that we should keep the crystals here, for safekeeping, rather than in some lab.” came the disturbed voice of Mace Windu.

Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice how Mace would often glare at her, most likely because she was supporting the Chancellor’s story.

“I agree, sending the Kyber crystals to be studied at a Republic Government controlled Science Lab is too great a risk, especially when they were ordered by someone in your Government.” Ki-Adi Mundi said as he watched the Chancellor with disapproval.

“Master Jedi, I assure you that we are investigating this matter efficiently. We will find the suspect and deal with them correctly.” Palpatine responded quickly as he looked at Ki-Adi.

Ki-Adi stared at the Chancellor for a moment, “Nethertheless, I still feel the risk is too great.”

“If misused, Kyber crystals can be incredibly dangerous. Keeping them on Coruscant at all is not a wise idea, especially if the Jedi are not involved in the research.” came the accented voice of Shaak Ti, earning many nods of agreement from the other Council members.

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was sensing. Almost all of the members held a hostile attitude towards Palpatine, who was only doing what was best for the Republic. One member who had remained silent throughout the discussion was Obi-Wan, who was slowly stroking his beard in his chair.

“Jedi Council, if I may suggest, I think that researching the crystals has more benefits than it does risks. It could bring an end to the conflict!” Jacen spoke with confidence, which brought a sense of happiness to Ahsoka. At least someone was on their side.

Mace Windu shot Jacen an angry glare, “And what more exactly do you have to add to this, boy?” he said which seemed to displease Obi-Wan and especially Ahsoka who looked furious. The rest of the Council remained quiet as they sat in discomfort.

“This ‘boy’ saved my life down there, allowing us to stop the crystals from falling into criminal hands. Surely you won’t fail to recognise that!” Ahsoka argued back as she defended her friend.

“The fact is, Miss Tano, is that you are no longer a Jedi. These matters are for the Jedi to deal with.” Mace responded bitterly.

“And where is the Order when the people need them most?” Ahsoka argued back, the atmosphere becoming more tense, “This is why people are losing faith in the Jedi. You are so consumed by politics that you have forgotten about the very people you swore to protect!” Ahsoka shouted, earning a few glares and shocked looks from the members of the Council.

Mace opened his mouth to argue back, but then decided against it. He still continued to frown at the pair however.

After a short while of uncomfortable silence, Yoda then sighed slightly and started to talk again, “Against my better judgement, it is. But believe the research could be useful, I do.”

“I for one believe it would be worth the risk. Considering the lengths that Ahsoka and her friend have gone to, I believe we should trust their judgement.” Kit Fisto said, who shot Ahsoka and Jacen a warm smile. Clearly he wasn’t bothered by her short outburst earlier, perhaps he even agreed with her.

Ahsoka always liked the Nautolan, as he often had a big smile on his face that would lift the spirits of many. He was generally the most laid back member on the Council who had a sense of humour, and it was hard to find a reason not to like him.

It was then Obi-Wan who sat up suddenly, “I agree, I think we would be foolish to let such an opportunity slide. Chances are the Separatists are doing similar research, if we can develop some form of energy source to give our troops an advantage, it has my support.”

“And mine.” Plo Koon spoke, nodding to Ahsoka as a sign of respect, “If Little Soka believes this would be in the best interests of the Republic, then it has my support.”

Ahsoka smiled at this, as Plo Koon had always been there for her. She suspected he had voted her not guilty in her trial, considering the close bond the two shared. Obi-Wan and Plo Koon had also stayed somewhat loyal to Ahsoka, and for that she had more respect for them than she did the others.

“I suppose it would be better than storing them in the temple, although I’m not sure if I agree with the current proposal.” Ki-Adi Mundi said cautiously, still not fully trusting the idea.

“Indeed. We need to be mindful of what the research will be used for. As Jedi, we can not support it if it is being used to make a weapon.” Mace said uneasily.

“Don’t worry, Master Jedi. This effort could help our troops and those affected by the war.” Palpatine said as he then turned to Yoda, “However, I have decided to leave the decision to you, as matters such as these crystals are outside of my understanding. I do insist that we at least attempt to analyse the Kyber crystals however.”

“Of course Chancellor, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will contact you when we have made our decision.” Mace said, as he gave the Chancellor a very short, forced nod of respect.

Ahsoka couldn’t help but stop the anger that was building within her, “Is that it?” she asked, irritated, earning a displeased look from Mace and Ki-Adi, as well as a slightly surprised look from everyone else in the room, including the Chancellor and Jacen. “Are you not even going to update the Chancellor on the battles in the mid-rim? What if Anakin needs help?”

Mace sat forward in his seat suddenly, “The _Council_ , will report to the Chancellor once there is something to report.” he said, emphasising on the word ‘Council’ to show her she wasn’t involved.

“Agreed, these matters are not for citizens to discuss.” Ki-Adi said as he glared at Ahsoka and Jacen.

Ahsoka, still feeling unsatisfied, gave a quick bow of respect and left the chambers with the Chancellor and Jacen.

Once the door was closed, there was a tense silence in the room. Yoda was the first to break it, “Believe that we should refuse, do you?” he asked Mace who let out a deep sigh.

“Yes, Master Yoda, I think we are taking a big risk in giving the Chancellor such a powerful resource. We are still not fully sure of his intentions.”

“What if he was to weaponise the crystals. It could bring much destruction if we allowed it to happen.” Ki-Adi Mundi said as he looked at Yoda, “Perhaps we should request that any testing is done in the temple, so that we can monitor the progress.”

“I disagree, bringing the crystals here would only show the public that we don’t trust the Government to act responsibly.” Shaak Ti argued, who was then followed up by Obi-Wan.

“Agreed,” Obi-wan said as he stroked his chin, “this is a delicate affair, we must place our trust in the Chancellor on this one. If we refuse to allow testing, it will only further damage public opinion of the Jedi.”

Mace and Ki-Adi did not look placed at that statement, but the rest of the Council seemed to be in agreement.

“Then agreed, we are. Allow research on the crystals, we shall, but keep a closer eye on the Chancellor, we must.” said Yoda.

“Then it is settled, I will inform the Chancellor of our decision later this evening.” Mace stated, although he didn’t sound too thrilled to be reporting to the Chancellor.

“More to add, have you?” Yoda asked as Mace clearly had something else on his mind.

“I sense something is stirring in the Senate. We know someone in the Republic had ordered these crystals in secret, but we don’t know why. We could just be handing over the crystals to whoever ordered them in the first place.” Mace spoke swiftly, his mistrust of the Chancellor only growing as he spoke.

“Perhaps we should send a small Jedi team to investigate the area where the Kyber crystals were retrieved?” Kit Fisto suggested, earning a few nods of agreement from across the room.

“I’m afraid that is already out of our control now. The local authorities will have already investigated the area.” Mace said, “Unfortunately, any evidence may be lost if our suspect is in Republic High Command.”

“Then perhaps we should send a Jedi to oversee the research, or at least until we know exactly what they have planned?” Obi-Wan suggested, once again stroking his chin.

“Master Kenobi, nominating yourself for this role are you, hm?” Yoda asked, with some slight amusement in his voice. Overseeing research wasn’t exactly the most exciting assignment.

“Indeed I am, if the council approves? I am eager to find out more about the Chancellor’s little project.”

With all the Council members in agreement, Obi-Wan sat back in his chair and began to stroke his beard once more.

“I think it would be in our best interest to observe the research for now. I will ask when the Chancellor plans to move the Kyber crystals to the Ministry of Science, then you can depart when you are ready, Obi-Wan.” Mace said as the Council meeting was brought to a close.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - JEDI TEMPLE - ENTRANCE**

Ahsoka was less than pleased with how the meeting had unfolded. It had appeared that the Council had hardly changed at all since she had left, as their trust in the Chancellor continued to decline.

Ahsoka felt bad for the man, as even without the force you would probably be able to sense the hostilities coming from some of the Council members. All he was trying to do was help the Republic, and it seemed that some people couldn’t understand that.

Obi-Wan, Plo Koon and Kit Fisto had all shown their support for Ahsoka during the meeting, and it was clear to her that those were the Council members that she should consider forgiving the most.

She was quite happy that Anakin wasn’t there, as she highly doubted that she would even be ready to talk to him yet. The two had left on good terms, but she had a strong feeling that her decision to leave had affected him quite badly. Seeing her again would only make that worse.

She also didn’t want him there to tease her, or even be overprotective just because Jacen was with her. The thought made her smile slightly.

“Thank you for the support back there, my dear. I appreciate that you can see the benefits of such an analysis of the nature of these Kyber crystals.” Palpatine spoke to her softly as they left the Temple. It wasn’t too long ago that Ahsoka was walking down these very steps herself.

Ahsoka bowed her head slightly, “I was happy to be of service Chancellor. Afterall, if this will be the key to stopping the war, then I see no reason not to give it a try.”

Palpatine nodded in agreement, then looked to Jacen, who was walking besides Ahsoka. “Young man, thank you too for your service. You were very brave to speak your mind before the Council, you would have made an excellent politician.” he said with a warm smile, which really brought up Jacen’s spirits.

He was unusually quiet after the meeting, and Ahsoka could only presume it was due to Mace’s way with words. Jacen had always clearly held the Jedi in high regard, and Ahsoka wondered if that had changed at all after meeting the Council.

“Thank you!” he muttered, a little lost for words. Ahsoka could sense that there was still a lot on his mind, but she didn’t want to intrude his personal thoughts.

Mace had been too harsh on Jacen, and it was one of the reasons why she had lost all respect for the man. He was definitely one of the more arrogant members of the Council, and he carried around with him a sense of superiority that only fueled Ahsoka’s irritation with him.

The group continued to walk down the steps of the Temple in a comfortable silence, the shuttle they arrived in becoming more clear. Ahsoka could also make out the outlines of the Coruscant Guard.

“Hey,” Jacen suddenly said as he nudged her playfully, “thanks for what you said back there, I appreciate the support.”

Ahsoka smiled, “You did save my life, I wasn’t going to let the Council shame you for that. Although I do remember saving your life too, so don’t think you’re one above me!” she said playfully as she gave him a light punch to the back of his shoulder.

Jacen laughed, “I didn’t realise we were keeping score! Maybe it would be a good idea for us to stick together for a while, although we need to get you a weapon of some sort.”

Ahsoka nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

Once they had reached the Chancellor’s shuttle, Fox was there to meet them, and this time he allowed them onboard without any trouble, although Ahsoka could still sense how uneasy he was about her being so close to the Chancellor.

The shuttle ride back to the Senate Building had been uneventful, as Palpatine spoke to his advisors in the corner leaving Jacen and Ahsoka on their own at the back of the ship.

“What’s next?” Jacen suddenly asked as he broke the silence between them.

Ahsoka gave him an uneasy smile, “I still need to talk to Kendar about what happened at the dock, no doubt he’s worried sick.”

Ahsoka felt guilty after saying that, as she hadn’t exactly been fair to the Ithorian. She let his brother die, and she also missed her shift today without even letting him know. He was no doubt going to be angry with her!

Jacen placed his hand on Ahsoka’s, who flinched at the movement due to being so deep in thought. “Ahsoka, are you alright?”

She gave him a short smile, then thought carefully about how to respond, “Honestly, I’m not even sure anymore!” she tried to joke despite feeling quite down.

Jacen gave her a sympathetic smile, moving his hand from hers to not make the situation between them awkward like last time.

“You said you had a bad dream last night?” he asked her as he continued to study her face for any reaction.

Ahsoka looked away for a short moment, deciding whether she should tell him or not. ‘Maybe it would help to talk to someone?’ she mused as she turned back to meet his studying brown eyes.

“I had a vision- it’s like a dream,” she said slowly as she watched Jacen nod his head, indicating to her to continue, “I was in the war still, on a command ship. There were some officers and Clones, although a lot of it was blurred out.”

Ahsoka then hesitated slightly, looking down at her legs. Jacen gave her a concerned look, “What happened then?”

Sighing, Ahsoka looked back up to Jacen, “The Clones, they- they turned on me.” She said with a hint of trepidation, her hands shaking as she spoke and voice wavering. “They tried to kill me Jacen, and they probably did. It was all so real.”

Jacen was speechless for a moment, then he decided to try and comfort her. He leaned in, embracing her lightly. To his surprise, she accepted the embrace, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m sure it was just a dream, don’t worry too much about it.” Jacen whispered reassuringly.

The moment was short but sweet, the two quickly broke apart. Ahsoka’s skin tone darkened slightly, and she felt a little embarrassed. She had never connected or opened up to another being like that before. Only Anakin ever had that sort of bond with her. It felt good, even though she knew she probably shouldn't have done it.

Jacen was also blushing slightly, giving her a reassuring smile to try and cheer her up. It was clear how stressed she was, and he knew it couldn’t be healthy. Obviously whatever else she had seen had really shaken her up, which made Jacen feel very concerned. If a Jedi was showing fear, then it was clear that it was pretty bad.

The pair remained in silence for the majority of the way back, exchanging brief looks and some small talk about the Coruscant cityscape.

Once they had arrived back at the landing pad outside the Senate, Palpatine thanked them one last time, then motioned for one of his Senate Guards to bring the access keys to the accounts he had set up for them as a reward.

“Chancellor, thank you but you don’t have to give us this. It was just the right thing to do.” Ahsoka reasoned as she was given access to the account. She didn’t even want to imagine how much the Chancellor had paid them, although it was probably a lot of credits.

“Oh, I assure my dear, you deserve this reward. You truly are a saviour of the Republic, and your master would be most proud.” Palpatine responded, “And once again, I want to offer you a sincere apology on behalf of myself and the entire Republic.” he said as he gave her a slight bow, one which she reciprocated.

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

Palpatine then walked off with his guards, and Ahsoka glanced at Jacen, who had a really confused expression. “What?” Ahsoka asked, equally confused. Then it clicked.

“What exactly was he apologising about?”

Ahsoka hesitated slightly. But then, she settled.

She was going to tell him about everything that had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, the Council have decided to trust Palpatine on his occasion. 
> 
> Firstly, I thought I would include a short vision at the start. Yes, this is a reference to the Clones from season 7 (332nd legion if I’m not mistaken?) and it was after the battle of Mandalore. 
> 
> I thought I would add an Admiral in there. I always liked the idea that the Admiral’s would try and defend their Jedi friends, considering they weren’t Clones. This would mean the order would be delayed for them, and they wouldn’t be programmed to follow it, so I always thought it would be interesting for some Admiral’s to be caught in the crossfire.
> 
> Sorry to all you Mace Windu fans, I’m not exactly making him the kindest in this story but he isn’t one of my personal favourite Jedi.
> 
> I thought I would add a small intimate moment between Ahsoka and Jacen for character building, I thought it fit into the moment well and I hope I wrote it well enough. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, let me know what you thought about the chapter in the comments! :)


	9. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka reveals more information about her trial and Obi-Wan visits the Ministry of Science. Ahsoka and Jacen find a new ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, sorry for it being a short while since I last posted. Sometimes you just run out of time without noticing. Anyway, heres a 5k chapter to make up for it, another update coming soon! :)
> 
> Also, I edited the first few chapters, adding in more spaces and italics, so don't worry that something had changed in the plot if you go back and it looks different. :)

** CORUSCANT - 1313 - JACEN’S APARTMENT **

Today had been a difficult day for Ahsoka. She had set foot in the temple once again, a place she had promised to herself that she would never need to visit again. Whilst she understood the importance of the Kyber crystal situation, she didn’t want to be dragged back into Jedi affairs. The Chancellor had offered her a chance to escort the Kyber crystals to the ministry of Science, although she had now decided not to do that as it would only involve her further.

Now, she was sitting back in Jacen’s apartment in the kitchen area, wanting to explain her past no matter how uncomfortable the thought made her feel. Before arriving, Ahsoka had decided to tell him as much as she could, but now she was starting to have second thoughts.

She had felt determined back at the Senate Building, feeling as though she would be able to retell the events without trouble. Now, she was feeling hesitant again, as well as cautious with her new friend.

Ahsoka didn’t seem to have much luck with friends. She had opened up to Barriss, someone who she thought she could trust, only for her to frame Ahsoka for the temple bombing. Many of the Council members had also let her down, even her friends like Master Kenobi and Master Plo. Lux had been a good friend to her, but they had lost contact ever since Onderon. Part of her wondered how he was getting on now.

“So then, what happened to you that warranted an apology from the _entire_ Republic?” Jacen asked, suddenly bringing Ahsoka out of her thoughts and back to the present. He sounded a little frustrated, a frustration that confused Ahsoka.

Ahsoka buried her face in her hands, “Jacen, I can explain-”

“Explain what? Will you ever actually tell me the _full_ truth, or are we just going to keep secrets from each other?” Jacen interrupted, immediately feeling a little guilty afterwards.

Ahsoka’s face immediately shot up to meet his eyes, shooting him a dangerous glare. It definitely intimidated him, as Ahsoka noticed his eyes falter for a short moment before he met her glare.

“Have you not considered how _I feel_ about this? What if I’m not telling you everything because it _hurts me_ to talk about it?” Ahsoka said quickly, an irritated expression covering her face.

Jacen sighed as he took a seat at the circular table, “Back at The Wharf, you told me that I could tell you about my past when I feel ready. What if I’m not ready to tell you everything yet? Ahsoka asked as she looked away from him.

“I did, and I still stand by that. But sometimes it can help to talk about your problems. As your _friend_ , I’m trying to look out for you, I just need you to trust me.”

“I know.” Ahsoka said quietly as she continued to look away from Jacen. Knowing that there was no hope in changing her mind, Jacen stood up and began to walk away to give her some space. For some reason she felt a little hurt about being only a friend, despite being the one to make that choice in the first place.

“I was put on trial.” Ahsoka whispered, loud enough for Jacen to hear as he stopped walking and quickly spun around.

“A trial?”

“The Temple bombing, I was framed by my best friend.” Ahsoka continued with sadness in her voice. Jacen walked back over to the table and sat besides her.

“The Council threw me out to be put on a military tribunal. They were prepared to execute me.” Ahsoka said bitterly as she looked at Jacen, giving him a sad smile.

“I can’t believe it, how could they not support you? I heard about the bombing but I wasn’t aware you were put on trial.” Jacen said, still shocked at Ahsoka’s revelation.

“Well, you can’t really blame them. My friend Barriss used me from the start, she acted like she wanted to help but only used me for her own gain. Her plan to frame me was well thought out, so the evidence against me was quite substantial. It’s why I sometimes struggle to trust, well, new people.” Ahsoka said as she looked at Jacen again, the latter immediately feeling bad for what he had said earlier.

“Ahsoka, I’m so sorry, I had no idea that you went through so much.”

“Don’t be sorry, it was my choice not to tell you before. Besides, it’s only fair that you know.”

“What about this Barriss, what happened to her?”

Ahsoka sighed, “Luckily my Master was able to capture her and arrived just before the vote was passed. He saved my life, and for that I don’t think I will ever be able to repay him.”

Jacen poured Ahsoka a glass of water who accepted it gratefully, nodding as a ‘thanks’, “As for Barriss, I’m honestly not too sure.” Ahsoka continued, “I’d imagine she is being kept in the High Security Prison here on Coruscant.”

“What?” Jacen said suddenly, “So they were prepared to execute you, but when the real culprit was brought before them they decided to throw her in a prison instead. That makes no sense!”

Ahsoka considered this carefully. Jacen was right, it didn’t really make much sense. Why was Barriss not submitted to the same form of punishment that Ahsoka would have received, that being execution. She made a mental note to ask the Chancellor about that if she ever saw him again.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jacen asked as he put a supportive hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka nodded, a little hesitant to reply at first.

“Yeah, the memory is still fresh, that’s all.” Ahsoka said, then turning to face him with a smile, “You were right though, talking to someone has definitely helped.”

He returned the smile, taking his hand from Ahsoka’s shoulder, “That’s good to hear.”

“Well, I suppose that’s _everything_ this time then? Or next time will you tell me you’re a Sith!.” Jacen joked, earning a look from Ahsoka.

“Not so fast, you were just as bad as me. _‘I’m just a simple merchant’!_ ” Ahsoka mocked, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

“Uh, what I said was true, I’m just armed to defend myself.” Jacen replied, glad that she had cheered up a little.

“Really? You said it yourself, you’re more of a Bounty Hunter than a trader. A _Scoundrel_.” Ahsoka joked, this time receiving a playful smile from Jacen.

“Hey! I’m not a Scoundrel, I’ve been nothing but kind to you.” Jacen replied as he lifted his hands as he jokingly surrendered.

“I know you have, thank you for everything you have done, it really does mean a lot to me.” Ahsoka said, more serious this time as she gave him a genuine smile.

“Don’t worry about it, hey, did you check how much the Chancellor gave us?” Jacen asked as he stood up to get a holopad from the kitchen counter.

The Chancellor had ordered an account set up for each of them, an account Ahsoka had completely forgotten about. Whilst she had protested any sort of reward for her actions, she was more than grateful to receive some credits, as she wasn’t exactly earning much lately.

She had hoped that he hadn’t given them too much, although Jacen’s reaction as he looked at the holopad he was holding didn’t give her much hope.

“ _Two hundred thousand credits?_ ” Jacen asked, as if he didn’t even believe the amount himself. Ahsoka took the pad from him, not believing it herself.

“Wow.” was all she could say as she stared at the figures, wide-eyed, “That’s very generous of the Chancellor.”

“Generous? It’s a miracle Ahsoka, don’t you see. It means we can leave this planet.”

“ _We?_ ” Ahsoka asked as she stood up from her seat at the table.

“I- I think we make a great team. We should stick together, unless of course you want to stay?” Jacen asked as he walked over to her.

Ahsoka remained silent, closing her eyes as she fell into a moment of deep thought. She didn’t really see any benefit to remaining on Coruscant, although she still wanted to ensure that the Kyber crystals were handled correctly and she would need to make amends with Kendar if she decided to leave.

“Ahsoka?” Jacen asked, bringing her out of her slight mediation. Turning around, she saw that Jacen had a hopeful look on his face, and she could feel that he strongly wanted her to go with him.

“I think I will stay.” Ahsoka said as she briefly looked away from him.

Jacen’s face dropped slightly as he considered her response, “Oh, okay, that’s fine-”

“I’m joking Jacen, of course I will go with you. There’s not much point in staying around here anyway.” Ahsoka interrupted quickly, immediately feeling a little bad for her mean joke, but only a little!

“Hey! That wasn’t fair!” Jacen replied over Ahsoka’s laughing, happy that she had lightened up a little after their earlier discussion.

“Maybe not, but it was totally worth it! You should have seen your face!” Ahsoka tried to say as she giggled, earning a smirk from Jacen.

After she had calmed down, Jacen offered his hand, “So then, a team?”

Ahsoka grasped his hand making a firm handshake, “A team.”

* * *

**CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE**

Obi-Wan slowly exited his starfighter, jumping onto the concrete below him. The Ministry of Science was a large complex, the biggest structure being a large spire in the centre of a courtyard. The entire complex was surrounded by a fairly big wall, and the only entry point was through a security checkpoint or one of the two landing pads inside the walls.

There were several smaller buildings around, each designated for certain experiments, as well as a small garrison for the Coruscant Guard.

Ever since the terror attack on Coruscant by the Separatists, security at important locations such as this one had been significantly improved. Walking towards the central spire, Obi-Wan was greeted by two Clone troopers in red markings.

“Greetings, General. The Commander will be here to escort you shortly.” one of the Clones said as they blocked Obi-Wan’s path, making it clear he couldn’t proceed any further. The renowned negotiator was happy to oblige.

“Of course, I will wait here.”

The troopers nodded, then took a few steps away from Obi-Wan to talk amongst themselves. The Jedi Master did pity them slightly, knowing they would most likely prefer to be on the frontlines than guarding a building.

Obi-Wan wasn’t waiting long before the Commander briskly walked from the spire’s entrance, an additional two clone troopers escorting him as well as a Scientist in the traditional white attire.

“Master Jedi, a pleasure to meet you. I am Commander Orson Krennic, and this is my lead scientist Galen Erso.” Krennic stated, almost sounding bored with the formalities as he gestured to Galen.

“Greetings, Master Jedi, welcome to the Ministry of Science.” Galen said as he gave Obi-Wan a warm smile.

“Thank you, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’m here to observe your research to ensure the Kyber crystals are taken care of.”

“Of course, _General_ , I will show you around the complex.” Krennic responded mockingly, something Obi-Wan picked up on. It was no secret that some officers didn’t appreciate the Jedi Order, and clearly Krennic was no different.

“As you can see the facility is very secure.” Krennic continued as the small group walked towards the spire. “As highly unlikely as it is, any form of attack on the complex would be a certain failure. We have prepared for every probable scenario. The crystals will be quite safe here.”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he continued to walk besides Krennic, “That is good to hear, Commander, although it is the improbable that concerns me.”

Krennic sighed, “Master Jedi, I assure you there is nothing to worry about. Besides, you said it yourself, you are here to observe our research, not critique my security.”

Galen then decided to speak up to break the tension that had suddenly formed, “Master Kenobi, our research here will provide us with great opportunities. I believe we can harness the power of the Kyber crystals to create a form of energy. It could provide us a more efficient way to power our ships, as well as planetary infrastructure, it could even be a solution to end the war.”

“And how safe is this research you are proposing?” Obi-Wan asked, his head now turned to Galen with a curious look.

“It’s safer here than it would be anywhere else. The Ministry of Science hosts our most sophisticated equipment. Whilst the technology is still quite new to us, I believe we will be able to make a breakthrough.”

Obi-Wan still wasn’t satisfied with that response, as he understood how dangerous the Kyber crystal could be if used incorrectly, “What if something was to go wrong?”

This time it was Krennic who answered, “Then we would take the necessary precautions. As I said previously, we have prepared for such a scenario.”

The group had now reached the entrance to the spire, which acted as the central hub for the complex. Most of the labs were located under the complex, which were accessed by turbolift. The biggest lab was at the top of the spire.

Krennic walked towards the metallic door, motioning for one of the troopers to open the door for him. “Shall we?” Krennic asked as the Clone swiped a control panel with his key card, forcing the door to open. Obi-Wan nodded, following Krennic and Galen into the spire.

The entrance led them through to a large corridor, mostly made up of black panels and white lights, a common combination in Republic military buildings. At the end of the corridor was a small, circular room. In the centre was a group of officers at several control panels. Turbolifts were scattered around the walls, which Obi-Wan assumed would lead to the different labs.

“Commander.” one of the officers stated as they all snapped to attention, Krennic giving them a nod of respect.

“At ease.” he said as he turned to Obi-Wan, “Master Jedi, this is the only way in or out of the labs. As you can see, this spire is very secure and will be a safe place for the Kyber crystals.”

“And where are you currently keeping the crystals?” Obi-Wan asked as he inspected the room. He was impressed with the security measures put in place, but there was always a chance something could go wrong.

“This way.” Krennic responded as he walked over to one of the bigger turbolifts, Obi-Wan and Galen following behind. “This is one of our most developed labs, only members with security clearance from the Supreme Chancellor should usually be able to enter.”

“I guess that makes me an exception to the rule.” Obi-Wan said humorously, although Krennic didn’t seem to share his sense of humour.

“Indeed. This way, Master Jedi.” Krennic replied coldly, opening the door to the turbolift.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - 1313 - GENERAL SHIPYARD**

Jacen aimlessly wandered around one of the largest shipyards on Level 1313. There were many different models of ship for sale, some new, but most of them old and used. The owner, a Toydarian, had continued to attempt to talk Jacen into buying many of the ships, yet each time he had the same answer.

He didn’t want to buy anything until Ahsoka had arrived. She had told him she needed to buy a few things first, and that he should try to find a good ship. Truth was, he wasn’t exactly experienced in ship models, and he imagined Ahsoka would probably have a better idea from Jedi training.

“So, have you made up your mind, eh?” the voice of the Toydarian, Brom, brought Jacen out of his thoughts once again.

“No. Like I said the last time you asked, and the time before that. I’m waiting for my friend.” Jacen said harshly, frustrated by the Toydarian’s lack of patience.

“Alright, alright. Just don’t take too long, I don’t have time for people like you, I’m very busy.”

“I highly doubt that.” Jacen muttered under his breath as he continued to inspect the ships. Most of them were damaged, most likely found abandoned in space and then pulled back here to be sold on.

Glancing to his right, he noticed a small freighter type of ship kept away from the others. Unlike the rest of the ships here, this one seemed to be new and undamaged. He made a mental note to show that one to Ahsoka once she finally arrived.

Then, just as he had that thought, he noticed Ahsoka walking towards him although she looked- different. Gone was the old Jedi outfit that she often complained about, despite Jacen actually liking it quite a bit.

Now, she wore a brown leather jacket, which was open and revealing a green crop top, which was more of a vest that covered half of her body. Alongside that, Ahsoka had changed into some black leggings, with a single red stripe down the right leg, as well as a pair of dark grey boots that reached up to her knee bones. Ahsoka had also added some armour, some red vambraces and knee guards, as well as a single pistol holster on her right leg.

Needless to say, she looked stunning, and Jacen couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Ahsoka?”

“Hey Jacen, sorry for taking so long. What do you think?” Ahsoka asked as she quickly turned around to show Jacen the entire outfit.

Jacen was lost for words, “Uh, wow, you look amazing Ahsoka.” he managed as he admired her figure. This made Ahsoka blush a darker orange, the compliment making her feel warm inside.

“Thank you, I thought I would take some notes from your style.”

“I think you pull off the look quite well.” Jacen said, giving her a smirk.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, then looked around at the ships, not hiding her disgust for the condition of most of them, “Are any of these actually flyable?”

“Yes, they are.” came an irritated voice that wasn’t Jacen, startling her. Ahsoka quickly turned around to find a Toydarian lurking around. “Perhaps you are ready to buy a ship now, eh?” he said as he continued to stare at Ahsoka, creeping her out.

Luckily, Jacen stepped in and started to lead the Toydarian towards a ship, Ahsoka giving him a brief smile as a thanks. “Actually, yes. How much for that one?” Jacen asked as he looked at the freighter he had spotted earlier.

“ _Seriously?_ ” Ahsoka asked as she walked besides Jacen.

“What?” he asked innocently, confused at her reaction. Sure, it wasn’t the nicest looking ship, but at least it looked new.

“Hm, that’s an interesting one. It’s a newer model, eh, so it’s going to be more expensive.” the Toydarian, Brom replied as he scratched his chin mid-flight.

“How much?” Jacen asked as he stopped walking as Brom flew in front of him.

“Three hundred and sixty thousand credits.” Brom sneered as he stopped scratching his chin

“Are you serious?” Jacen asked, looking between the ship and the Toydarian, “That’s a lot of credits for one ship.”

“The war had raised prices for all of us. Besides, she’s fitted with some weapons, as well as a fair amount of cargo space. You can’t ask for a better deal, eh?” Brom said as he continued to flap around Ahsoka and Jacen.

“Actually, we can.” Ahsoka replied sternly, “We’re not paying you that many credits for, well, _that_. What even is it anyway? I've never seen anything like it before.”

“That’s a new Corellian model, a YT-2400. You couldn’t ask for a better ship.” Brom said as he pulled a holopad from his belt, “Here, take a look at it’s specifications, see what you think, eh?”

Ahsoka took the pad and began to scan through the data as Jacen stood closer to analyse it too. The thought of him being that close to her made her blush a little, but she quickly shook the thoughts away.

“Perfectly armed, one turret, twin laser cannons. You can also pack some missiles too if that’s what you like, eh?” Brom continued, although neither Ahsoka or Jacen were really listening to him at this point.

“There’s plenty of cargo space inside, it will be the perfect ship for the two of you, eh?” Brom asked, becoming rather impatient, although no reply came.

Ahsoka passed the holopad back to Brom and looked at Jacen, “We can’t afford that, although it does seem like it would be a good ship.” she said as the pair walked away from the Toydarian so they could talk in private.

Jacen didn’t respond straight away, and she could tell through the force that he was planning something. “Let’s say if we could afford it, would you want it?” he asked, looking straight into her blue eyes.

Ahsoka thought for a moment, “Well, it’s got plenty of space inside, and it’s well armed. But we can’t afford it, Jacen, I’m sure there are some other shipyards on Coruscant.”

“There will be, but we’re not going to find anything cheap. If this ship is expensive then another ship at a similar size will only be the same price, if not higher.”

“Then maybe we should rethink our plan-”

“We won’t have to, I have an idea.” Jacen interrupted, giving her a smile. ‘I don’t like the sound of that’ Ahsoka thought to herself as Jacen walked back over to the Toydarian.

“So, do we have a deal?” Brom asked as he gave Jacen a sly smile.

“Three hundred thousand, no more, or we walk.” Jacen said as he stared at the Toydarian with a determined look.

“Then get walking, friend, I’m not going any lower.”

“Fine, come on Ahsoka, let’s go.” he said blunty, making Ahsoka smirk. She knew exactly what he was trying to do. Just as she had expected, before they had even taken five steps, they heard him calling them back.

“Wait, perhaps we can make a new deal, eh?” Brom asked as he flapped in front of them, stopping the pair from walking any further.

“And what would that be?” Ahsoka asked, amused.

“I can do three-fourty.”

“Three-ten.” Jacen replied quickly, earning a scowl from Brom.

“Three-twenty, and don’t push me any further _boy!_ ” Brom replied, glaring at Jacen.

Jacen wasn’t intimidated though, and he gave Ahsoka a smug smile as she rolled her eyes, “You have a deal, I can pay you tomorrow.”

Brom simply scowled at the two, and then flew away to most likely bother another customer.

“And _how_ exactly are you going to pay him? We don’t have that many credits.” Ahsoka said as she crossed her arms, a little frustrated that he seemed so laid back about this.

“We will have the credits tomorrow, when I sell my apartment to the Coruscant Estate Company.”

“The Estate Company? How will you get the credits by tomorrow?” Ahsoka asked, more than a little confused.

“They will buy the property from me for credits and try to sell it on for a profit. Sure, I could probably get more for it on my own but I don’t see much point in sticking around here.”

Ahsoka couldn't believe it. Jacen was prepared to sell his entire home just for a ship. “Jacen- I can’t let you do that. It’s only a ship, you can’t not have a home.”

Jacen gave her a warm smile, “I want to do it. Besides, have you not seen that thing? It’s got everything you would need in a home, and it can fly!” he said with enthusiasm, earning a giggle from Ahsoka.

“That’s one way to look at it. Are you sure you want to do this?” Ahsoka asked, still not entirely satisfied with his decision.

“Yes, I am. Now we should probably get back to my apartment so I can pack whatever I might still need. I can drop you off at Kendar’s tomorrow morning if you need anything from your room?” Jacen asked as the two began to walk out of the shipyard and into the streets of Level 1313.

“I don’t think I have any possessions at this point, but I do need to speak to Kendar about his brother and thank him for his help, if he even wants to speak to me at that point.”

“Don’t worry, I will have your back.” Jacen said, giving her a playful nudge. The pair continued to walk down the street and back to Jacen’s apartment.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE**

The turbolift ride was very uncomfortable for Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, Krennic didn’t appear to be one of the officers that were a sympathiser of the Jedi Order, and Galen hadn’t really said all that much to him apart from his plans for the crystals.

Obi-Wan could see that his intentions were good, which did reassure him that the Kyber crystals would be put to good use. Although Krennic’s plan for the crystals would probably be different, as he was clearly more affiliated with the Republic Military. It was something that Obi-Wan knew he would need to keep a watchful eye on.

Once the lift doors had opened, Obi-Wan saw just how large the lab was. There were dozens of comprehensive machines, most of which were overseen by a few scientists. The Kyber crystals were being analysed on each one of these machines, and Obi-Wan was immediately concerned by the nature of these experiments.

The crystals had always been protected from others by the Jedi Council, yet now they were allowing these experiments to happen. Before, he had agreed that some good may come of this, but now he was definitely wishing that the experiments were being conducted on a more remote world, especially with the nature of the crystals.

“If you would follow me, Master Kenobi.” Galen said as he took the lead, walking briskly into the lab.

“We are currently analysing the structure of the Kyber crystals.” Galen continued as he walked between the machinery and scientists, most of which were looking at Obi-Wan with curious expressions. “As research has never been conducted on this scale before, it is important for us to learn the secrets of its structure to prevent any accidents.”

“I see, and what exactly are these machines doing?” Obi-Wan asked as he glanced at the closest piece of machinery, a large arm with a red laser emitting from it.

“Slowly breaking down the components of the crystal so they can be further scanned and tested, it's a long process that will take time.” Galen responded.

“Unfortunately, the Jedi have kept the secrets of the Kyber crystal structure from the Republic. Secrets that would help our research and allow us to get results faster.” Krennic said as he picked up a crystal from an analysis table, staring at it. “Perhaps if your Council would share its knowledge, this research would be much safer?”

Obi-Wan sighed, “I’m afraid not. The Kyber crystal can have many uses, and we keep them secret to protect lives. Releasing that information to the Republic would only increase the damage of this war.” Obi-Wan replied as he continued to analyse the machinery.

Krennic only sighed, knowing that his plan for more information would not get any further, “Of course, Master Jedi. I’m afraid I have many matters to attend to, so I shall leave you with Galen to oversee the research.”

He gave Obi-Wan one last glare, then walked back to the turbolift.

Obi-Wan glanced up at the ceiling, noticing multiple, large ventilation shafts. “I suppose you need those to cool all of this equipment?” Obi-Wan mused, bringing Galen’s attention to the shafts.

“Ah, yes, all of this machinery creates quite a lot of heat.” he replied before turning back to some datapads on a table. Obi-Wan continued to watch the crystals being analysed, stroking his beard as he thought.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE - KRENNIC’S OFFICE**

“Chancellor, a Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived today to inspect the complex.” Krennic said to a holographic Palpatine as he sat at his desk.

“And what did he make of the project?” Palpatine asked as he waited patiently for Krennic to reply.

“I’m not sure, Chancellor. I showed him the lab, just as you requested, although I’m not sure if it was a good idea.”

“I assure you, Commander Krennic, I did not make this decision in haste. Allowing the Jedi access to the research is the only way of keeping the true project away from them. We need to discover how to weaponise the crystals, and for that we must study them. Once we understand the nature of the crystals, we will send them to a separate facility, all the while leaving the Jedi with this ‘energy project’. We can accomplish both tasks at once.” Palpatine spoke softly, a somewhat sinister smile on his face.

Palpatine knew that there was a way to weaponise the crystals, as the Sith of old had found a way to do it efficiently. However, that knowledge was hard to find, and Palpatine had no luck in discovering it’s secrets. Whilst it was risky, he knew it was the only way to get it done.

“Is there anything else you would like to add, Commander?”

"What if Ahsoka Tano interferes? I thought she was going to be the one to escort the crystals, not this Kenobi.”

Palpatine considered this, “Hm, I’m sure that she will not interfere, as she believes in the research that we are conducting. However, if she does become an issue, I’m sure there will be a way to silence her.”

Krennic was a little shocked at this, “Your Excellency, surely you can’t be suggesting-”

“We are at war, Commander. The secrecy and integrity of this project is critical. It is crucial for the war effort, and so we can not allow her to reveal the true nature of our research to the Senate and Jedi.” Palpatine interrupted, more aggressive than he usually was.

“Of course, Chancellor, by your command.”

Palpatine nodded, then the transmission ended, leaving Krennic at his desk in deep thought. If the elimination of Ahsoka Tano would please the Chancellor, he would be happy to make arrangements. ‘It could make me a higher rank than that fool, _Tarkin_.’ Krennic thought to himself, a sadistic smile forming on his face. Now all he needed to do was stop Kenobi from becoming too suspicious, then there would be no stopping his project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, what did you think to this chapter?
> 
> Here are some points I wanted to clear up:
> 
> 1- I decided to make it so Galen and Krennic meet Obi-Wan because I thought it would be cool. I know it didn't happen in canon, but it's not like I'm following canon at this point anyway.
> 
> 2- Okay, so 300000+ credits for a ship might seem like a lot, but I think it's fair and realistic. Firstly, there is the war, which would escalate prices. Secondly, I think it just makes sense for a ship to cost that much. Looking into the particular model they purchase, it looks like it should only be 120000 (Wookiepedia). What? that's really cheap considering a TIE fighter would cost 75000, so to me that just doesn't make sense, but maybe I'm thinking into it too much.
> 
> 3- Yes, I am aware that the YT-2400 was produced in the imperial era. I just think it is a cool ship, and it isn't exactly canon breaking having it in the story so why the hell not!
> 
> Now then, Ahsoka's new outfit is something I was excited to get into. Personally, I thought Ahsoka's first season 7 outfit was pretty bland. The Mandalorian one was great, but the mechanic attire, not so much (just my opinion). I thought it would be more fitting to give her a smuggler outfit, although I decided against her buying a lightsaber, at least for now anyway.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, there will be more action soon, I promise!
> 
> Here are the links to the outfit design I found which I took inspiration from (although there were a few slight changes in my description such as the blaster holster), as well as the ship they are going to buy and a plan of the inside that I will reference in future chapters, so please check them out if you like to visualise whilst you read, and because the interior plan for the YT-2400 is amazing! Thank you :)
> 
> Ahsoka's outfit- https://www.deviantart.com/brian-snook/art/Smuggler-Snips-Variations-Rebels-Concept-476336381
> 
> YT-2400- https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/YT-2400_light_freighter#:~:text=The%20YT%2D2400%20light%20freighter,under%20cargo%20haulers%20and%20pirates.
> 
> YT-2400 inside- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564638872007375792/
> 
> And no, none of these are my designs. Sorry for the long end notes! :)


	10. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka learns more about Jacen's past and Obi-Wan begins an investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hope you enjoy this one! :) 
> 
> Remember to comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed! It really warms my heart when I get a notification that someone has enjoyed my story!

** CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE **

Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing inside one of the many buildings located inside the Science Complex. This building, the communications centre, was definitely one of the smallest rooms in the complex. The structure itself was a simple square, a small holotable and a few lights inside. Typing in the code for the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan could only wait patiently with his own thoughts until the Council answered his call.

Obi-Wan was glad to have been assigned this mission. Whilst it was important to oversee the research, he also wanted to launch a little investigation of his own. Unlike most of the Council, Obi-Wan had listened to Ahsoka’s story with great interest, and the fact that a third party was aware of the Kyber crystals was most intriguing. Even if he didn’t discover anything, he knew he owed it to Ahsoka to look into the issue, even if she was done with the Jedi Order.

“Master Kenobi, how goes the observation?” the voice of Mace Windu bringing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts immediately.

“I believe the crystals are in safe hands.” Kenobi said after a short pause, “The complex is well fortified and the research is as safe as it can be, although I’m not sure if it is wise to keep them on Coruscant.” Obi-Wan finished, his voice unsettled as he stroked his beard as usual.

Sighing, the holographic Mace sat forward in his Council seat, “Whilst I understand your concern, Obi-Wan, I do agree with the Chancellor. It is not possible for the Separatists to invade as they do not have access to the necessary hyperlanes. Your work at the citadel guaranteed that.”

“Be cautious, we must.” Yoda said slowly, “Other ways to accomplish their goal, our enemy may have. Proven that in the past, they have.”

“I agree, if the Separatists were able to attack the power generators in the past, it is likely they will be able to launch another attack again before we can mobilize an effective defence.” Plo Koon spoke swiftly, earning several nods of agreement from the other Council members.

“Secretly ordered the crystals, a Government official did. Look within, we must.” Yoda said as he let out a quiet sigh, “Work of the Sith, this could be.”

Ki-Adi Mundi frowned slightly, glancing over to Yoda, “Perhaps we should launch an investigation into the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. Only someone in his office would be able to do such a thing in secret.”

A short silence came after that suggestion, but the same thoughts lingered on everyone's mind. Only someone high up in the Government could have secretly ordered in Kyber crystals, although there was no clear answer as to who would do it. One wrong move, and the Jedi could lose any support they have left from the Republic.

Obi-Wan was the first to break the silence, “I’m not sure if that would be a wise decision. Public opinion is already swaying against the Jedi, and this could only worsen matters. However, I might have a solution.”

“Go on.” Mace said calmly, intrigued at what Obi-Wan had to say. Ki-Adi slouched back in his chair, clearly unhappy with his mistrust of the Chancellor only growing.

“If the Council agrees, I would like to launch an investigation into the mercenaries Ahsoka encountered.”

“Master Kenobi, I believe we already decided to leave that to the local authorities?” Ki-Adi Mundi interrupted, “Any evidence at the scene will already be lost.”

“I’m not sure if I can agree. No Clones were involved in the firefight, and it took place on the lower levels on Coruscant. It’s likely any evidence is being handled by the local authorities for Level 1312.”

“So what are you proposing, Obi-Wan?” Mace asked as the rest of the Council remained silent.

“It’s obvious a third party was aware of the location of the Kyber crystals, so it’s possible they might have a lead on the identity of our mysterious individual.” Obi-Wan concluded, satisfied with his own logic. If they could track down one of the surviving mercenaries, they might just be able to identify the Government official responsible for this.

“Hm, whilst agree, I do, likely that this could lead to a trap, it is. Cautious, you must be, if this task is granted before you.” Yoda said as he observed the reactions of the other Council members. There was no objection, so Yoda was happy to allow Obi-Wan this assignment.

Mace glanced at Yoda, who gave him a firm nod, then back to Kenobi, “Very well, Obi-Wan, you have the support of the Council. If you believe the research is safe then we will leave observations of the Kyber crystals for now, once you have finished your investigation you can return back to the complex for a final assessment.”

“Understood, I will make immediate preparations.” Obi-Wan said, bowing to the holographic members.

Suddenly, Plo Koon let out a quiet cough to gain the Council’s attention, “I would like to join Master Kenobi on this investigation, if the Council approves?” he said as he looked around at the members of the Council.

Mace gave Master Plo a firm nod, “Very well, you will leave immediately, and may the force be with us all.”

* * *

**CORUSCANT - 1313 - JACEN’S APARTMENT**

Ahsoka was starting to realise how much it meant to Jacen to leave Coruscant. He was willing to sell _everything_ to get them that ship, and Ahsoka hoped he wasn’t just doing it for her.

“Are you _absolutely sure_ you want to do this? I’m sure there are plenty of other ships out there.” Ahsoka mumbled as she helped Jacen to carry a large box to his speeder.

“Yes, I’m certain that I want to do this, Ahsoka. I appreciate the concern, but the answer will be the same each time you ask!” he replied jokingly, causing Ahsoka to smirk. He was very enthusiastic about this new opportunity, and only hoped that this new ship would be worth all of this.

Jacen had collected a few possessions in a box, mostly sentimental items from his homeworld, Naboo. Ahsoka had never really owned any possessions, so she had never understood the concept of being sentimental over items. All she had ever owned was her lightsabers and clothes. She had given away everything else through her devotion to the force.

It was starting to get late, and Jacen had arranged a deal to sell the apartment faster than Ahsoka had anticipated, although she was still certain it was a bad idea. Jacen would probably receive less than half of the apartments current value, something that worryingly didn’t bother him too much.

Deciding it would limit any stress in the morning, they had decided to pack most of Jacen’s belongings in the speeder tonight. There were only a few boxes, as he had decided to sell pretty much everything.

After placing the heavy box in Jacen’s speeder, the two began a slow and steady walk back to the apartment. “Hey, I appreciate you deciding to come with me.” he expressed with a small smile, finding it hard to make eye contact with her as he spoke. “It’s been a while since I had anyone there for me, so it really does mean a lot. It makes a nice change to have someone else around.”

Ahsoka considered this for a moment, only just realising how much it really did mean to him that she was sticking around. “I didn’t realise how much this meant to you, have you always been on your own?” she asked as they continued the walk up to Jacen’s apartment. Based on that information, Ahsoka considered that Jacen’s parents might have been his last carers, although she couldn’t understand why. He was generally a good guy, and was likeable enough to be taken in by at least someone.

“Mostly, yes. There was one girl who I met once I arrived here on Coruscant, but that’s about it.” Jacen replied simply, sounding a little sad at the memory.

“ _Really_?” Ahsoka asked quickly, who couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at the mention of another girl, “What was she like?”

Jacen smirked, clearly picking up on Ahsoka’s tone and how she had blushed ever so slightly. “She was a great friend, and she helped me when I was in a rough spot.” Jacen said as they reached the door to the apartment, breaking off from talking to type in the keycode to the door. Once they were inside, he walked straight over to the kitchen area to pour a drink.

“I was on the streets for a while,” he continued, his tone becoming more dismal as he spoke, “I had no food or shelter, only the clothes I had on and a handful of credits.”

Jacen pulled two glasses from a kitchen shelf, filling them with Ardees, a sandy-coloured alcohol. He offered one of the glasses to Ahsoka, who accepted it with a smile, despite the drink not looking overly appetising.

“That’s when she took me in. Talia Green, a young human who introduced me to the world of bounty hunting.” Jacen said as he took a sip from his drink, sitting down on the couch next to the fire. This time, the fire wasn’t lit, Ahsoka immediately missing the warmth it gave off as she sat next to Jacen.

“So _she’s_ the one responsible for turning you into a _scoundrel_?” Ahsoka asked jokingly, even more amused at Jacen’s reaction.

“Hey! Although I guess you’re right, at that point I needed the credits so I was prepared to do anything.”

Ahsoka remained silent as Jacen continued, “We did all of our bounties together, and I was able to make a decent living for the first time in my life.”

“So you were close then?” Ahsoka asked, although she couldn’t help but still feel a little jealous again.

“We were good friends, yes, although this was a few years ago now.”

Doing the math in her head, Ahsoka was slowly becoming more and more confused, “So you were what, fourteen or fifteen? That’s insane!”

“And you were leading _armies_ at a similar age. I guess we have a lot more in common than I thought.” he offered as a sarcastic joke, although Ahsoka seemed to take it literally.

“Yeah, we didn’t exactly have a conventional childhood.” Ahsoka said miserably, realising that at least there were people outside the order like her too. “What happened to her?” she suddenly asked, noticing Jacen’s hesitation to respond.

“There was a large bounty on a criminal here on Coruscant, so we decided to take the job.” Jacen replied slowly as he chose his words, “There was an ambush. They were expecting us and there was nothing we could do. We were separated in the fight, so Talia decided to rush the enemy whilst shouting for me to escape. I haven’t seen her since.”

The two sat quietly, Ahsoka placing her hand on Jacen’s, “I’m so sorry.”

It was all she could say. She wanted to comfort him, tell him it would all be alright, but it didn’t feel like the right moment. She decided the best course of action would be to try and move the conversation forwards, especially judging on the lack of a response from Jacen. She clearly had meant a lot to him, and still did even now. Ahsoka slowly removed her hand from Jacen’s, which seemed to bring him back into the present and out of his thoughts. Ahsoka could feel the stress on his mind by simply retelling the story, a stress she wanted to try and relieve.

“So, why Coruscant? How come you didn’t stay on Naboo?” Ahsoka asked in an attempt to break the silence, but not wanting to sound rude. Luckily, Jacen seemed to appreciate her efforts to move the conversation from such miserable talk.

“That’s a good question, I can’t say I have a solid answer. After the droid occupation had ended, Queen Amidala was returned to the throne.”

Ahsoka was shocked at the mention of Padmé, as she often forgot her royal past. Jacen picked up on her reaction, “You know who I speak of?” he asked as he finally met her blue eyes, something he hadn’t done since their conversation had started. Ahsoka noticed he was a little more nervous than usual, she assumed it was because of their past conversation and the stress of the day, but it was something she decided to keep an eye on.

“Yes, she was a good friend to me, as well as my Master, Anakin. Padmé spoke on my behalf during my trial as my defence.” Ahsoka replied, realising she had never properly thanked Padmé for all she had done to help, making a mental note to go and speak to her at some point.

“Interesting, she also helped me too, although I never met her in person.” Jacen said with a small smile. This didn’t surprise Ahsoka, as Padmé had always been someone to help people in need.

“The Queen set up numerous shelters for children like myself who had been displaced by the war.” Jacen continued as he took another small drink from his glass. Ahsoka was yet to try it, too interested in Jacen’s story than the sandy-coloured beveridge. “Whilst the thought was kind, it lacked the necessary funding due to the Trade Federation blockade damaging the economy, so Naboo suffered after the blockade ended. The conditions were terrible, any aid from the Republic was limited and so after a few years of living there I decided to run away.”

Jacen then let out a slight sigh as he stared at the empty fireplace, “I decided Coruscant would be the best place to travel to, and it was also the cheapest, although looking back now I probably would have been better living on Naboo.”

“As a kid, I always wanted to join the Republic Navy, and I guess at the time I thought coming to Coruscant would be my best chance.” Jacen concluded, finishing his drink and relaxing in the chair a little more. He hadn’t realised how tense he had been whilst talking, and it felt good to finally relax.

“Really?” Ahsoka asked, mostly as a joke as well as a sense of surprise, “I didn’t expect that.”

“Why not?” Jacen asked, giving Ahsoka a warm smile, “I’m a decent pilot, and I think I have more battle experience than most people my age. Except you, maybe.” he quipped, making Ahsoka laugh.

“Whatever you say, _Admiral!”_ Ahsoka replied sarcastically, giving him a light nudge.

“‘Admiral’, I like the sound of that.” Jacen countered as Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

A comfortable silence broke out between the two, as Ahsoka finally decided to try her drink, and to her surprise it was actually quite tasty. She was happy that Jacen had lightened up a little, not wanting their past conversation to ruin the night.

“I can’t believe I’m finally leaving this place, after all these years.” Jacen muttered as he slowly analysed his own apartment. This was the first time he had actually shown any sort of emotion about his apartment today, although he had already made it very clear that he was happy with his decision. “We should probably get some sleep, we need to be ready to leave in the early morning. I will drop you off at Kendar’s before we get the ship, that’s if you still want to go?”

Ahsoka sat quietly, knowing that part of her really didn’t want to explain to Kendar how she had watched her brother die, and how she could have saved him if she had decided to act quick enough. It was something that had constantly been on her mind since, and she knew the only way to settle her conscience was to explain what had happened.

“Yes, it is the right thing to do, although I’m not sure if I’m ready for it.” Ahsoka said quietly.

“I will have your back. I’m sure Kendar will be understanding, although don’t expect him to be thrilled about the news, either.”

“That’s if he doesn’t already know.” Ahsoka muttered.

The pair then stood up from the couch after a short silence, Jacen giving her a brief glance whilst she wasn’t looking. The moment she turned to face him, he quickly turned his gaze away, once again appearing more nervous than usual. He eventually turned to face her again, giving a small smile.

“Goodnight, Ahsoka. Thank you for the talk.”

Ahsoka nodded, returning the smile, “Likewise, make sure you actually get some sleep tonight, _Admiral_.” giving him a quick salute. Jacen rolled his eyes, and the two walked to their rooms to get some sleep.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE**

Obi-Wan was eagerly waiting at the landing pad for Plo Koon to arrive. Like Obi-Wan, Master Plo had always maintained a good relationship with Ahsoka despite not actually being her mentor. The two had gone a long way back, and it was Plo Koon who had brought Ahsoka to the temple many years ago.

During the trial, Plo Koon, like many others, had found it difficult to believe Ahsoka’s story due to the amount of evidence against her case. That was until the real culprit had been discovered, and ever since he had held a great shame for not playing a more active role in Ahsoka’s defence. Obi-Wan assumed this was why he had volunteered to help in the investigation, as both believed they owed Ahsoka for their lack of support during the trial.

Noticing that there was a Jedi speeder approaching, Obi-Wan moved to the edge of the landing platform to provide some space for a landing.

“Good day, Master Kenobi.” Plo Koon spoke clearly as he landed the speeder, Obi-Wan jumping straight into the passenger seat.

“Good day, Master Plo, thank you for deciding to aid me in this investigation.”

Plo Koon began to pull the speeder back from the landing pad and towards one of Coruscant’s underworld portals. “I thought you might need the support, as this will no doubt be a trap as usual.” he replied, sounding as cautious as ever. Master Plo was definitely one of the more respected members of the Council, and he had mastered the ability to remain calm and focused in any situation.

“I’m inclined to agree, my good friend.” Obi-Wan said as he peered down to the streets below. It was late, and the nightlife of Coruscant had already started to come to life, nightclubs and bars already full of citizens.

“I don’t believe any evidence will be easy to come by.” Plo Koon continued on as his attention was focused on the controls before him, “If our suspect is in the Republic’s High Command, I’m sure they will have buried any leads by now.”

Obi-Wan sighed, knowing that his friend was probably right. “I’m sure we will be able to find a lead. Hopefully, the situation will have been handled by the local authorities, so we might be able to find something from them.”

They were entering the portal now, and a slow descent into Coruscant’s underworld began.

“I’ve been thinking about Ahsoka’s story, and, well, I can’t make sense of it.” Obi-Wan said slowly, mainly thinking out loud as he forgot for a moment that Master Plo was even there.

“How do you mean?” Plo Koon asked curiously, his attention now on Obi-Wan.

“Why would a _civilian_ be delivering something as valuable as Kyber crystals? We know someone in the Government is involved, so surely they would have hired someone with more experience in smuggling.”

Plo Koon remained silent as he thought about what Obi-Wan had just said, “Perhaps I’m thinking too much into it, but why would they throw away such valuable resources when their plan is almost guaranteed to fail?” Obi-Wan asked again, stroking his beard as he spoke. He wasn’t really expecting an answer, as he was only voicing his thoughts out loud as he tried to make sense of it himself. Something just didn’t add up.

“So you’re suggesting that they might have wanted the Kyber crystals to be captured?” Plo Koon asked, attention back on the speeder controls.

“Perhaps. Whoever ordered those crystals has enough funding to have such a careless plan. They must have expected someone to intervene, so it is a possible scenario.” Obi-Wan finished, not wanting to jump to any conclusions. If his thoughts were revealed to be true, then there were only a handful of officials who could be plausible suspects.

“I believe a lot more planning has gone into this than we can currently understand. Considering no action had been taken to retake the crystals, it is possible they are exactly where our suspect wants them to be.” Plo Koon said calmly, slowing down their descent as they approached Level 1312.

Obi-Wan didn’t offer any response, instead opting to sit quietly as he considered what Master Plo had suggested. If it were true, then whoever it was had been lucky that the crystals had been retrieved. Surely they weren’t _expecting_ Ahsoka to intervene?

“We’re coming up on the dockyard now.” Plo announced. Obi-Wan observed Level 1312 with a sense of shame, realising that Ahsoka had been right back in the Council chamber. The underworld was deteriorating fast, and it was no doubt one of the causes for the public’s loss of faith in the Jedi Order.

Approaching the dock, which was currently surrounded by multiple police speeders, the two Jedi observed the area thoroughly. It was quite damaged, with clear signs of explosives being used in the firefight. Some large, industrial crates had been almost destroyed by the blast, with large parts of the floor being charred from what had clearly been a large fire.

Ahsoka had explained everything in detail, although nothing could have prepared Obi-Wan for _that_. It was essentially a warzone down there.

Landing next to one of the police speeders, the two Jedi were immediately greeted by a small group of underworld police officers. They were certainly quite confused, as it wasn’t often that Jedi would come down to the lower levels of Coruscant.

One of the officers, wearing a slightly different style of armour, quickly pushed through the small group of policemen that had surrounded the Jedi. “Greetings, Jedi. Your arrival is unexpected but not unwelcome, how can I help?”

“We would like to inspect the crime scene, we’re looking for more evidence on a lead we have.” Obi-Wan replied as he peered at the surrounding dock. It had been a few days since the incident, so any bodies and weapons around the area had been removed. All that remained were a few damaged crates, in a similar condition to the rest of the dock.

“Of course, if you would follow me.” the human officer said as he turned back to the crime scene. “I am Superintendent Heckmann, I was assigned to clean up this mess a few days ago.”

“Have you identified the suspects?” Obi-Wan asked as both himself and Plo Koon followed besides the officer.

The Superintendent sighed, slowing down his walking pace slightly, “We have not been able to put a name to any of the deceased. Any survivors were able to escape, and due to this dock being abandoned a few years ago, there is no way to efficiently identify them.”

“How many had fallen?” Plo Koon asked as the officer led them into the centre of the crime scene. The damage looked much worse in this area, and it was clear this was where the fight took place.

“We counted three Weequay, each armed with blasters and thermal detonators. Hence the damage.” Heckmann replied with another sigh, scratching his head as he analysed the scene with his sleepy eyes. It was clear that this wasn’t an easy job, especially when there were no clear leads to the criminals behind it.

“Were there any others?” Obi-Wan asked as he also analysed the scene. Ahsoka had mentioned an Ithorian who had been killed, the one who had retrieved the crystals in the first place.

The Superintendent gave Obi-Wan a curious look, “ _Others_?”

“We're looking for an Ithorian male who was here during the fight.” Plo Koon said as the Superintendent once again started to scratch his head.

“No, there were definitely only three Weequay. It’s possible he escaped the skirmish, as the only bodies we found were in that area.” Heckmann said in a bored tone as he pointed at a group of crates, “And with the amount of blaster damage on the crates opposite them, yet no bodies, it’s clear that whoever they were shooting at prevailed without any casualties.”

“Interesting. Thank you for your help, we will let you get back to your investigation. Be sure to let us know if you find anything else.” Obi-Wan said politely.

“Of course, come and find me if you have any questions.”

Once the Superintendent had walked away, Obi-Wan turned to Plo Koon with a concerned expression, “Clearly someone has been here to remove the evidence.” Obi-Wan said grimly.

“Which means anything the Ithorian may have had to aid us will also be lost.” Plo Koon replied. He had expected this to happen, although part of him had hoped that they would at least find something. “Unfortunately this may already be a lost cause.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, not wanting to give up yet, “I’m sure there will be a clue somewhere. We need to consider the facts that we have, then we can start to analyse the area.”

Plo Koon nodded his head in agreement as the two started to work out the missing pieces they needed to complete this complex puzzle.

* * *

**CORUSCANT - 1312 - KENDAR’S BAR**

It was early morning, so early that the main lights of 1312 had yet to power up. Due to being so far underground, the architecture of the lower levels needed to create a false perception of day time and night to match the rest of Coruscant. The huge lights that were already in place were not efficient enough to match natural light from a star, and so the lower levels always had a darker vibe. Smaller street lights were used at night, although the lower level streets weren’t exactly safe to wander at night anyway.

Jacen had sold his apartment, selling it to a company that was certainly scamming him. They paid him just over 100,000 credits, when he probably could have got double that amount if he had sold it himself. Regardless, he had decided to do it anyway, despite Ahsoka insisting otherwise.

Now, they were standing outside Kendar’s bar, a place she really didn’t feel like being. She understood that explaining what had happened wasn’t going to be easy. But now she was actually standing outside, she was starting to lose confidence to even go inside and confront the Ithorian. Luckily, she had Jacen to watch her back, not that she needed help as she was more than capable of defending herself. But that didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate the support.

“So, we should probably go in and get this over with before you start to think into it too much.” Jacen started to say, no doubt a little impatient as they had been waiting outside for around five minutes now.

“I know, you’re right, although I’ve already thought about it too much.” Ahsoka mumbled as she pulled the key to the bar from her pocket. Kendar had been kind enough to lend her a key, as she would still be able to get to her room should he not be around. To Ahsoka’s surprise however, the door wasn’t locked, and it was actually open slightly.

“Hey, it’s open.” Ahsoka said simply as she went to push the door, only to have Jacen’s hand on her arm, startling her. She turned to face him with a confused expression, “What?”

“Look.” Jacen replied as he pointed at the wall with his other hand. Following his eyes, she saw a small sign that had been attached to the wall, clearly reading ‘permanently closed’. Taking her hand from the door, she started to understand why Jacen was feeling unsettled.

“Maybe he just forgot to lock the door?” Ahsoka offered, although doubting her own words.

“I can’t imagine he would leave his door open in the early hours of the morning with no lights on.” Jacen said, pulling out one of his blasters. “Let’s go in, but slowly.”

Ahsoka nodded, pulling out her own blaster. It was an A-180, a prototype that had only just been developed, and looking back Ahsoka realised she had probably overspent a little when picking a weapon. She had been tempted to buy a vibroblade, or maybe even a lightsaber if she could find one, but decided against it once she had spotted this blaster pistol. It could be reconfigured into multiple modes, and despite never being a user of blasters, she thought it would be perfect to use for now. And she knew it would make Jacen jealous, which was enough of a reason to buy it!

“Nice blaster.” Jacen quipped, almost sounding a little jealous, just as Ahsoka had expected.

“I know how to choose them.” she replied with a smirk, taking point as she slowly pushed the door open.

Usually automatic, the fact the door was no longer functioning was a major concern. It also let out an eerie squeak, the noise going through the two of them and making them shiver.

Taking a quick glance into the dimly-lit room, Ahsoka could immediately tell that some uninvited guests had visited recently. Tables were turned over, chairs broken and missing legs. The bar itself had been damaged, with several coloured liquids on the floor that Ahsoka presumed to be alcohol. There was no sign of Kendar, and the condition of the furniture made Ahsoka fear for the Ithorians' health.

Not noticing any indication of danger, Ahsoka stepped in, closely followed by Jacen.

“Well this doesn’t look good.” Jacen remarked, stepping over several broken chair legs.

Ahsoka didn’t answer, focused entirely on the scene before her. Walking over to the lightswitch on the side of the bar, she was surprised that the lights actually responded when she flicked it.

Now the state of the bar was clearer, yet there was still no sign of Kendar.

“Hey, what’s that?” Jacen asked as he walked towards the bar counter.

There was a small device there, a device Ahsoka had seen recently. A holodisk, which no doubt had a message on for them. Pressing the device, they were greeted with a large hologram of a Weequay.

“I’m afraid I have been forced to abduct your friend, as clearly, you seem to believe that you can steal valuable goods from _me_ , Hondo Ohnaka! This is not the first time I have been robbed of something that is rightfully _mine_!” the holographic Hondo then let out a deep sigh, “Bring the Kyber crystals, unarmed, to Florrum, where I might just be willing to return your friend to you, _alive_.”

The transmission then abruptly ended. Jacen was stunned, Ahsoka not so much. She had her suspicions from the start, and Hondo had tried to steal Kyber crystals in the past.

“Who was that?” Jacen asked, not expecting an answer back.

“Hondo? He’s a pirate, one with constantly changing morals who can be very dangerous if underestimated.”

“You _know_ him?!” Jacen asked, placing his pistol back in its holster.

“Unfortunately, yes. He’s pulled stunts like this in the past, although sometimes he has proven to be a valuable ally, so the Jedi Order decided to allow him to run his little operation for now.”

Jacen chuckled at that, “The _Jedi_ are willingly allowing pirates to operate in the Republic?”

“Yeah, it’s not one of the Council’s decisions I agreed with!” Ahsoka replied, also laughing at the slight contradiction in the Jedi Order’s beliefs. Pirates weren’t exactly something the Jedi should be supporting, but that was another example of how the war was slowly impacting the Order.

“So then, to Florrum?” Jacen asked.

“To Florrum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Hondo has finally arrived! 
> 
> I've always thought that Hondo was a brilliant character, as you never knew if he was going to be the villain of a particular episode or not. In the end, I guess he did kind of turn good, but at this point he is still a dangerous pirate who is no doubt frustrated that he has lost some Kyber crystals. Again.
> 
> This is the end of the first arc, and I've not even touched season 7 yet, so who knows how long this will be. I hope you returning readers are happy with a longer story?
> 
> A few things to mention.
> 
> 1- Again, I've broke canon with Ahsoka's pistol, as it shouldn't exist yet. I believe it's the same one Jyn used, although I'm not certain on that one. It's only a pistol, so I don't see this causing any issues honestly.
> 
> 2- You might have noticed, but I keep switching between how I write numbers. I assure you, this is intentional (I will have to check older chapters to make sure I stick to this rule). In dialog, numbers will be spelt out unless it is a really long number, (e.g 'ten thousand' rather than 10000 etc). However, when not in dialog, numbers will not be spelt out, (e.g Ahsoka couldn't believe he would spend 10000 credits on that). 
> 
> 3- I made up the whole 'lights on the lower levels' thing, so either consider that true or not, it's up to you. I doubt it will be mentioned again, I just can't imagine lower level citizens living in the dark permanently, although in the Clone Wars it does look dark down there. It makes no change to the story, so just pretend I didn't mention it if you can't cope! :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, please let me know your thoughts and theories in the comments, I would love to read them!


	11. To Florrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin prepares for a final battle at Ringo Vinda. Ahsoka and Jacen share an intimate moment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here's another chapter for your enjoyment. Please don't forget to leave a comment, it really means a lot to me when I can hear your suggestions, things you like and so that I can answer any questions you may have. 
> 
> Thank you, hope you enjoy this one! :)
> 
> Oh and thank you for all the kudos and comments so far, you mean the world to me! :)

CORUSCANT - 1313 - GENERAL SHIPYARD - YT-2400

The new freighter was exactly as Ahsoka had imagined. It was huge, and was probably going to cost more to run than they could afford. Jacen still believed it was a good idea, although Ahsoka was starting to have her doubts. They only had a small fraction of their credits left, and this was the only thing either of them owned now.

It was new, straight off the assembly line, and so it had that pleasant smell you would often get when purchasing something untouched. Ahsoka could only hope the ship would stay this way, especially now they were going to Florrum. Hondo would no doubt try to take it from them, and she would need to prepare Jacen for how ruthless pirates could be when something valuable was before them.

Standing up from the lounge area, Ahsoka started a steady walk to the cockpit to find Jacen. She continued to admire the ship as she walked, realising that it might just be worth all the credits spent.

It had a large cargo area, which would be perfect if they ever tried to make a few credits from trade. There are also several passenger areas, which were wasted space that she hoped they would hopefully be able to modify at some point.

Ahsoka found him sitting on one of the cockpit chairs, staring at a navicomputer with a perplexed look on his face. “What do you think?” she asked, noticing that her sudden intrusion startled him slightly.

“To the ship? I think it’s brilliant.” Jacen said simply as he acknowledged her presence, then turning back to the computer.

“I already guessed that.” Ahsoka replied sarcastically. Ecstatic was the best way to describe how he had been over the past few hours. “I was referring to our rescue mission.”

Jacen looked back to Ahsoka as she took a seat besides him. “Do you think it’s a bad idea?”

Ahsoka sighed, leaning over to type in the coordinates as Jacen was clearly having a hard time finding Florrum on the database. “They’re dangerous pirates who were once able to capture my Master, as well as a _Sith Lord_. Yes, I think it’s a bad idea.” she replied a little more irritated than she had originally planned.

Jacen didn’t respond, he just sat there quietly whilst Ahsoka finished typing in the coordinates. “I’m sorry, Jacen, I didn’t mean to be that harsh. I just know how dangerous these pirates can be.”

Ahsoka slowly pulled away from the navicomputer, slouching against her chair and breathing out deeply. She was tired, stressed and whilst the visions had stopped for now, she was finding it more and more difficult to sleep lately with so much on her mind.

Jacen placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly and holding eye contact. “Ahsoka, don’t worry about me, I can protect myself. And you? You were a _Jedi!_ These pirates won’t know what's hit them if they did try anything. If anyone can get Kendar out of there, it’s you.”

Ahsoka blushed slightly, appreciating the support and faith that Jacen has in her. Although she still wasn’t convinced, as she had her lightsabers last time and Hondo still got the better of her.

“Besides, we have this new ship now, there’s nothing that can stop us.” Jacen joked lightly as he removed his hand from Ahsoka’s shoulder and directed his attention to the navigation system. “At least she’s fast, it should take us just less than a day to arrive at Florrum.”

Ahsoka stood up from her seat as he finished talking, “Well, we’re definitely going to have to think of a name. I’m not calling it a ‘ship’ forever. Permission to leave the bridge, _Admiral_.” Ahsoka asked mockingly, giving him a smirk.

“Granted.” Jacen replied as he rolled his eyes, preparing the ship’s systems for take-off.

MID RIM - RINGO VINDA

The battle had been harsh so far on Anakin and his men. He had already lost almost half of his forces, and if it wasn’t for the support of Generals Tiplee and Tiplar they would have been forced to retreat.

The planet-wide station wasn’t ideal for an assault. There was no way to have any armour support, and so battles would often be drawn out into long skirmishes as each side tried to take control of strategic corridors and hangar bays. So far, they were mostly at a stalemate, although they were making some progress as they slowly approached the Seperatist’s forward command centre.

Anakin began to input details into the holotable in front of him. He needed additional reinforcements if they were going to make a final push into Seperatist territory and guarantee a Republic victory. They had been able to retake the communications centre relatively quickly, although at a great cost to his men.

“Ah, General, how goes the invasion?” came the ever stern voice of Admiral Yularen.

“Admiral, progress is slowing down, although we are preparing for a final attack on the Seperatist’s command centre.”

“That’s good news, General Skywalker, and I’m glad to report that we have acquired control of most of the system. The remaining Seperatist ships are regrouping at their command centre, so expect heavy resistance.”

Anakin sighed, knowing that will only lead to more casualties for his exhausted men. “Could you connect me to the Jedi Council?” 

“Of course, General, good luck with your assault.”

The hologram of Yularen then faded, quickly replaced by the Jedi Council. ‘Sat in their chairs as usual.’ Anakin thought to himself, feeling a sudden flare of anger towards them. All they ever seemed to do was sit around whilst he did all of the work. Part of him didn’t even want to be on the Council if that was what his life would become.

“Knight Skywalker, we have been eagerly waiting for your report.” Mace Windu was the first to break the silence.

“Sorry for the delay, Masters, our comms were blocked. We have captured the central communications centre, and so there should be no more trouble in contacting you.” Anakin said as politely as he could.

“We assumed as much.” Mace replied coldly, only making Anakin more angry. Were the Council aware all along of how dire the situation had become? Did they really not care?

Shaking the thoughts away, Anakin knew he needed to stay calm if the Council were to even consider his request. “I was hoping you would be able to send me some reinforcements? My forces are stretched thin, and I don’t believe I have the forces to capture the planet.”

“I agree with Skywalker, we’re going to need more troops to be able to take the command centre.” came the voice of Tilpar as she walked up to the holotable, closely followed by her sister Tiplee.

“I don’t believe we have many more forces to spare.” Windu replied, glancing around at the other members of the Council. “We simply do not have enough Clones for every battlefront.”

“Use the resources you have left, you must.” Yoda said, giving Windu the support he needed as no one else spoke up.

“What about Obi-Wan? We just need another legion here and we can assure a victory.” Anakin said, noticing that Obi-Wan wasn’t present at the meeting like he usually was. Obi-Wan would often be the only one there to support Anakin’s ideas, and so his presence was definitely missed.

“Another assignment, Master Kenobi has. Provide the support you need, he can not.” Yoda said slowly, not sure whether or not to reveal any more information regarding Obi-Wan’s mission.

“What kind of assignment?” Anakin asked, which resulted in a glare from Windu.

“That is a matter for the Council, as it’s confidentiality is important.” Mace responded as he continued to shoot Anakin a disapproving look.

Hoping to break the silence, Tiplee coughed quietly to gain the attention of the Council. “Our plan is to use all the forces we have left to make a final push to the Seperatist command centre. If we combine Commander Doom and Captain Rex’s forces, we are hoping to be able to swiftly take control of the station, and then the planet.”

“We also need to prepare for the possibility that we could be forced to retreat if we take too many casualties.” Tiplar added.

Mace sighed, dropping his head slightly, “Then you will have to hold out for as long as you can until we can assign a legion to support you, which could be a while.”

“Then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Anakin replied swiftly, pressing a button on the holotable to reveal a map of the command centre, “As you can see, the path to the command centre is made up of multiple corridors and passageways, each guarded by heavily armoured droids.” Anakin said as he pointed to the highlighted corridors. “We’re going to split our forces into three teams, each led by a General, and we will regroup at this small room here. Once we have regrouped, there are three pathways to the command centre. They have had time to fortify their defences, so it is likely that we will encounter heavy resistance along the way. But, I am confident that this plan will work if we attack soon.”

The Council members sat thoughtfully as they considered Anakin’s proposal. It was a risky plan, throwing all of their troops into an offensive, as if the attack failed it would result in a Republic defeat. It could be months until a Clone legion would be ready for redeployment, and they might not be able to get there in time to be able to save any survivors should the plan fail.

“I think it’s a risky strategy, but I see no other alternative. It is imperative that we retake Ringo Vinda.” Aayla Secura offered.

“I agree. If the attack is well coordinated, you may be able to catch the droid army off-guard, as the last thing they would expect is a desperate last offensive.” Ki-Adi Mundi added.

Mace glanced at Yoda, who gave him a slow nod. “Very well, proceed with your attack, Skywalker. May the force be with you all.”

With that, the call ended and the three Jedi were left standing around the holotable in silence.

“Well, it was worth a try.” Tiplee offered to try and lighten the mood. They all knew that the Council would be unable to send any forces, although they had hoped they might be wrong. Even a small battalion of Clones could turn the tide in their favour, as they really were running low on manpower.

“We should inform the troops. Doom’s squad has taken heavy casualties, so we might need to split your forces, Skywalker?” Tiplar asked as the three began to walk to where their forces had assembled.

Anakin nodded, “Of course, I will speak to my Captain and make some arrangements.”

Anakin understood the hardships that Doom’s squad must have been through. They had been the first Clones to arrive, which meant that the initial casualties must have been horrifyingly high. They had fought bravely to take the hangar bays to await reinforcements, and so when Anakin finally arrived with his Clones, they outnumbered Doom’s remaining forces by five to one. He only hoped that such casualties were worth it. Even if it was what they were bred for, the Clones deserve more respect for their loyalty to the Republic.

Anakin broke off from the Jedi, making a beeline for Captain Rex and the rest of Torrent Company.

“Rex, a word?” Anakin said as all the Clones stopped their discussions to look at their General, as they were no doubt eager to find out if reinforcements would be arriving.

Rex nodded, following Anakin to a quieter spot in the communications centre. “General?”

“The Council has decided that we won’t be receiving any reinforcements.” Anakin said in a disgusted tone, knowing how much extra support would mean to his squad.

“I see, are they sending us any additional supplies? We’re running low on ammunition.” Rex asked, hoping to find a positive in this already terrible news.

“No, they want us to use what resources we have available.”

Rex paused for a moment, a little confused why they were unwilling to send any support. The Council were always quite vague and secretive about their ‘assignments’, and so it led to a lot of confusion when orders were relayed to Clone Commanders and Captains. “I understand, General. I’ll let the boys know.”

“Thank you for understanding, Rex. If it was my decision, I would be sending any available Jedi to help, but the Council appears to have more important matters.”

“I’m sure we can break through with what we have, although the casualties are going to be high, Sir.”

“I know, but this is the most efficient way to take the fight straight into their territory. I need you to assign a few fireteams to Doom’s unit, as they will need the extra troops if this plan is going to work.” Anakin replied, his frustration slowly growing with the Council. He wanted to know where Obi-Wan was, as he could have done with his support right now. They were covering up more secrets from him, as usual, and it made him feel uneasy.

“Of course, General, I will prepare the men.”

Rex then gave his General a quick salute, then turned back to his company.

“Right boys, we’ve got a hard battle coming up. We won’t be receiving any reinforcements or supplies, so we need to make the most of what we’ve got left.” Rex said calmly, despite the sour mood that had appeared from most of the Clones.

“No reinforcements? How do they expect us to actually win this battle?” Fives asked as he stood up, to which a few clones around him nodded in agreement.

“We have no armour support, no rockets, and we’ve lost almost half of the squad.” another Clone added.

“But we can do this. You are the finest men I have ever had the privilege of fighting besides.” Anakin interrupted as he stood besides Rex, “We can catch the droids off-guard with a full frontal assault, taking the fight to them!”

“General Skywalker, what if we fail?” Fives asked the question that was on most of the minds of the Clones.

“Then we press on as we always have. I’m confident that we will win, especially when I have the finest troopers in the Republic fighting alongside me.” Anakin replied enthusiastically, resulting in a small cheer from the Clones as their morale was lifted.

“Now then, listen up. We need to preserve ammo, so make sure every shot counts. Detonators and droid poppers will be limited to two per squad. Some of you will be assigned to Commander Doom’s unit to support their assault. Any questions?” Rex asked, glancing around at his fellow brothers, “Good, now get ready to move out.”

“Thanks for the support, General.” Rex said as he glanced at Anakin, giving him a small smile. His eyes were tired, as usual, but days of endless fighting were now starting to catch up to him.

Anakin nodded, then walked back over to the Jedi Generals to prepare for their assault.

“Sir?”

Rex turned back around to see Fives, looking concerned and just as tired as he was.

“Fives, what is it?”

“It’s Tup, Sir.”

“What about him?” Rex asked, now equally concerned.

“He’s missing. Hasn’t checked in for at least five rotations now.” Fives replied grimly.

“Are you sure he’s not with Doom’s squad?”

“I thought that too, although I checked earlier and they haven’t seen him. What if he’s been captured?” Fives almost whispered, not wanting the others to hear.

Being captured wasn’t the only concern. If Tup had deserted, it was possible that others could be inspired to do the same. They needed to keep this quiet for now.

“It’s possible, especially if it has been five rotations since he was last seen. I will check with the General and see what he thinks.”

“Thank you, Rex. He’s one of our best, and we’re going to need him for this assault.”

YT-2400 - HYPERSPACE - 2 HOURS FROM FLORRUM

Ahsoka had decided to take a shower as well as a short nap. The bathroom was definitely smaller than she had imagined, although it was of a much higher quality than her old bathroom in Kendars’. The shower actually worked, and the water was warm unlike her previous shower.

The bedrooms were also quite a nice change. The model they had bought could hold up to three crew members, and so Ahsoka just picked one of the smaller crew cabins. It had a single bed, a wardrobe and a small circular mirror. It was plain and simple, just like she was used to.

Ahsoka had forced Jacen to have the Captain’s cabin, as he had paid more credits towards the ship. Despite his arguing, Ahsoka wouldn’t back down, so he eventually accepted her kind offer.

Jacen’s room was only a little bigger, with the only differences being a small double bed rather than a single, and a wooden desk.

The two had decided to get some rest, leaving the ship's autopilot on until they arrived at Florrum. Now, they were sitting at the crew’s lounge, in a heated game of Dejarik on a small holotable as they tried to pass the time. Padmé had taught Ahsoka how to play once, and it was safe to say that she was going to remain unbeaten for a while as Jacen lost his third game.

“Wow, you’re pretty good at this, aren’t you?” Jacen said, a little frustrated that he still hadn’t won a game yet.

Ahsoka could sense his frustration, and so she continued to tease him over it, “Pretty good? I'm not sure if I remember you winning a game yet.”

“Oh there’s time yet, I think I have a strategy figured out now.” Jacen said smugly.

“Like you did last time?” Ahsoka teased, then two then started to laugh. “I can give you a lesson if you want?”

Jacen however remained vigilant, “I’m not giving up yet. I’m going to win this one. I can feel it.”

Ahsoka continued to look amused, taking her turn and defeating one of Jacen’s pieces immediately, something that made her smirk. “So when did you learn to fly a starship?” she asked as she waited for Jacen to take his turn.

“My friend that I told you about, Talia, had a starship that she would use for collecting bounties on other worlds, or even around Coruscant. Sometimes, someone would need to stay with the ship, so she taught me how to fly one.”

Jacen’s next move actually caught Ahsoka off-guard, taking out one of her pieces. He gave her a playful smile, one which she couldn’t help but feel warm inside as she saw how proud he was.

“I had a few years of practise, although I’d imagine it’s nothing compared to your skills.” he continued, this time waiting for Ahsoka to make the next move. She moved her favourite piece, Ng’ok, using its special ability to wipe out yet another one of Jacen’s pieces.

“Thanks, but I’m not a great pilot.” she said with a smile, “My Master had that mantle. His skills are somewhat legendary, something I’m sure you are aware of?”

“Definitely. The boy who destroyed the Trade Federation blockade. He’s very well known amongst the people of Naboo.”

Jacen was down to only two pieces now, and he decided to use the character Grimtaash to stun Ahsoka’s Ng’ok, something she didn’t appear to pleased about.

“Hey!” she shouted jokingly, despite being a little sad about not being able to use her favourite piece.

Jacen remained amused, continuing to stare into Ahsoka’s pretty eyes. “Perhaps _you_ wan't a _lesson?_ ” he asked seductively, making Ahsoka’s stomach feel warm suddenly.

Jacen continued to study her attractive face. Her ornate white markings contrasted against her orange skin, making her look almost ethereal. She was blushing slightly, and no doubt was unsure of how to respond. They were both breathing heavily, each breath becoming more erratic as Jacen started to lean in and close the distance between them.

Both their cheeks were flushed as they began to feel a burning sensation within them. It was a clear message. A message that was asking for _more_.

One of Jacen’s hands slowly reached up to her face, as if probing her for a reaction. Ahsoka didn’t move, so he continued on, hesitating as he reached her skin. They both continued to stare into each other's eyes, a fiery passion within them, and despite what had been discussed prior the temptation to continue was too strong for Ahsoka to resist. She wanted to know what it _felt_ like.

Jacen slowly caressed her face, tracing the beautiful markings of her cheek. Unsteady breaths continued to escape her lips, his touch driving Ahsoka mad as an intense excitement built up deep inside of her.

His face came closer as he continued to glance between her eyes and lips, almost as if asking for permission to make a move. Ahsoka couldn’t speak though, continuing to stare into his brown eyes and only just managing a small nod.

The sensation was strange as his lips pressed against hers. It was a pleasant warmth that engulfed her senses. She knew that it was wrong, that she shouldn’t be doing this, but something about it felt fascinating.

He continued with his gentle caress as he continued to kiss her lightly, slowly taking in the taste of her lips and teasing her, as if probing her to reciprocate. 

Ahsoka couldn’t cope any longer, deepening the kiss as a hunger suddenly exploded within her that she couldn’t quite understand. She wanted to feel more, wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with his silky brown hair.

Jacen began to move his hands too, exploring the curves of her figure as he continued to admire her alluring blue eyes between kisses, sending shivers of excitement and anticipation across her body. His palms sent a comforting warmth though her clothes as she pressed further into his lips, hungry for more.

His fingers met her exposed waist, exploring her warm, soft skin. She let out a small gasp as their skin made contact, causing Jacen to smile against her lips.

The pair continued to kiss slowly and awkwardly, sometimes breaking away for air. Jacen’s hand eventually reached her back and slowly started to push her down to lay on the couch.

Realisation hitting her, she quickly started to pull away, immediately missing the warmth of his breath against her lips. “ _Stop_.” she gasped as she tried to steady her breathing, her face still blushing a darker orange, “We shouldn’t have done that.”

Jacen let out a small sigh, slowly pulling away from her body. He knew she enjoyed it as much as he did, and that she also wanted more, but he didn’t want to press the matter. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable-”

“Please, leave,” she muttered, closing her eyes as she continued to breathe heavily, her heart beating rapidly and out of control, “I just need some space.”

Jacen nodded, finally breaking the eye contact that they had been holding for so long. He stood up with a flushed face, leaving Ahsoka alone in the lounge.

She sat there quietly, her heart still racing with excitement. She knew she could never allow that to happen again. The code forbids it. Yet, she found herself missing his soft caress, and the warmth of his lips brushing against her own. Standing up, she quickly walked to her room so that she could calm herself down. She was feeling a sense of regret, although it wasn’t because of what she had done, but rather _why she had stopped him in the first place _.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, things got a little steamy towards the end! 
> 
> I didn't want to escalate things too far, as there is still a long way to go yet so there is no need to rush things. Sorry if that's what you are waiting for, but you will have to wait a little longer... :)
> 
> A few notes in case you like to read them:
> 
> I thought it would be interesting to add in some Ringo Vinda content, just so you are aware of how far into the story we are / how we are keeping up to canon events.
> 
> I feel as though the Council wouldn't inform Anakin about Obi-Wan's assignment, as they feel he is far too close to the Chancellor and word might get out about their little investigation.
> 
> I always felt like the Clones at Ringo Vinda probably were quite worn down, and also would have been running low on ammunition and supplies. The battles themselves must have lasted hours at a time, as it would be hard to make much progress in fortified passageways etc.
> 
> Also, I'm British so I may call the 'refresher' a 'bathroom' sometimes. Sorry, can't really help this because it's just the style I'm used to, same with 'armour/armor' or 'colour/color'. Sorry if that bothers you.
> 
> The game Ahsoka and Jacen play is the same game Chewie and R2D2 play. You can find more info online if you are interested.
> 
> Finally, it is actually canon that Tup was missing for a few rotations, and I'm pretty sure Anakin knew about it. I can't remember if it was mentioned in the episode or not though.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed! :)


	12. Doshar Fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Jacen arrive at Florrum, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon continue their investigation. Palpatine has a meeting regarding the Death Star and a group of concerned senators decide to take action...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a long break, I finally present to you the next chapter in this story! :)
> 
> Firstly, I just wanted to explain where I've actually been. It's been VERY busy, despite the lockdown, and all my free time has just vanished recently. I was also unfortunate enough to get the Coronavirus, which left me feeling very tired and with a lack of motivation for quite a few weeks. I think they call it 'the long covid' or something. This left me with some bad writer's block, as I started to feel a little lost whenever I tried to write. The covid probably didn't help, as some people are left with brain fog for a while after having the virus, but either way it made it really difficult to continue the story.
> 
> I've also noticed my mental health, like many others I imagine, has not been at its best during the lockdowns. I've spent almost a year now of my life in lockdown (if you add up all of the months from 2020 too) and it's started to have a negative effect on me. Despite this, I thought that revisiting this old story might help, and wow did it do just that! I feel like I actually have something to look forward to now in a morning, so that's great for my productivity I guess! :)
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the long notes, I thought you guys deserved an explanation. As I promised, this story will be finished, as I hate it when I come across a story that has just been abandoned. I hope you guys can understand, I've spent the last few days writing an 8k chapter for you here, so please accept this as an apology. Considering how much more I need to get through to even reach Revenge of the Sith/Siege of Mandalore territory, this might be a long one, so be ready for that. 
> 
> Thank you! :)

YT-2400 - FLORRUM SECTOR

_She couldn’t feel anything other than the cold, hard surface of what she assumed was metal. Her senses were numb, all was black and there was a strong smell of burning flesh from a blaster wound, something she had become accustomed to during the war._

__

_“Did we get her?” came the distinctive voice of a Clone, startling her as tried to move her head but to no avail._

__

_Forcing her eyes open, Ahsoka could make out a blurred image of what appeared to be two Clone troopers, and it didn’t take her long to realise that she was on the bridge of a Venator once again. The troopers also had the same orange markings on their helmets as last time, but it was too blurry to actually make any details out. There was also a distinct blue colour on the chestplate which reminded her of the 501st armour style. One thing for sure was that she had never seen Clones like this before._

__

_“Yes, good work CT-4756.” spoke the other Clone who started to take slow steps towards her. She assumed he was of a higher rank considering his tone._

__

_Ahsoka had spent enough time around Clones to know that something wasn’t right here. They almost sounded as if they were being controlled by something, having completely lost their unique personalities, like they were now reprogrammed droids. The fact they were using their CT number only added to this, as it had become quite unusual amongst the Clones to refer to them at all, opting for unique nicknames instead._

__

_Attempting to stand up, Ahsoka realised that she couldn’t actually feel her arms or legs, or any of her body for that matter. It was like she was only there in spirit. Trying not to panic, she decided to calm herself and listen to the troopers talk._

__

_“What about the Admiral?”_

__

_“You got him too, nice shooting trooper.” came the voice of a Clone naval officer who just stepped into her field of view. “The Admiral was a fool. He was a well known sympathiser for traitors like this one.” the officer spoke with disgust as he pointed at Ahsoka. “Given the chance, he would have defended her with his life. You made the correct decision.”_

__

_The officer then cleared his throat, “CT-4756, I want you to go to the detention level and execute the prisoner.”_

__

_Without hesitation, the trooper snapped to a salute, “Sir, yes Sir.”_

__

_“What about this one?” the ranked Clone trooper asked the officer, as both turned to face Ahsoka once again._

__

_The officer snarled, a sinister smile being the only feature she could make out of his blurred face. “Throw her out the airlock.”_

__

_Before Ahsoka could even react, she was being dragged by the feet and away from the bridge. She could feel the eyes of the clone officers piercing her soul, and it made her feel uneasy and somewhat scared. Still unable to break free, she was horrified that there was no way to escape as a Clone dragged her lifeless body._

__

_“Set course for Coruscant with all haste, we must not keep our emper-” the officer’s voice was cut off as the bridge door closed. The rest of the journey was quick, and before she knew it, Ahsoka was thrown into the airlock, and the last thing she saw was the face of a Clone she didn’t think she would ever see again. She wanted to scream, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t._

__

_Then she was sucked into the cold vacuum of space._

Ahsoka jumped back into reality with a gasp. She was panting and felt like she couldn’t breathe, as if she had just been doing some extensive training for a few hours. It was terrifying.

The first thing she tried to do was calm down and catch her breath, but she found that really difficult due to what she had actually just experienced. 

_“Rex?”_ she asked herself, despite already knowing the answer. It was definitely him. Whilst some believed all Clones to be the same, Ahsoka felt differently. She had fought with them long enough to be able to pick out any Clone from a crowd, and that trooper had the face of Rex.

Although it wasn’t the Rex she knew. His face was full of disgust and hatred, as if even looking at her was the worst punishment imaginable. The fact he launched her out the airlock didn’t help either. It made her feel sick that he would even do that to her.

She grabbed a glass of water from her bedside and finished the whole glass, taking an occasional pause to catch her breath.

Ahsoka regarded Rex as one of her closest and most trusted friends, and he was almost like the brother that she never had. As much as she had stuck to the Jedi code, Ahsoka knew that losing Rex in a battle would be hard to take, and it was something that was always on her mind before every conflict. Losing a single Clone was a horrible feeling, but she couldn’t imagine being able to cope if they lost Rex.

Ahsoka valued the lives of every soldier that fought alongside her back when she was a Jedi. But to see them show such hatred and disgust towards her made Ahsoka feel unsettled to say the least. What had changed? Why were the Clones suddenly being so _different_ in her visions? She couldn’t make sense of any of it.

Ahsoka was brought out of her thoughts with the beeping of her wrist communicator. _‘Jacen’_ she thought as she remembered what had happened only a few hours prior. She had come back to her room to try and calm herself after their brief intimate moment. Blushing at the memory slightly, she tried to shake away the complex emotions she was feeling. What happened to everything being so simple?

‘I need to be honest with him.’ Ahsoka told herself, despite not fully agreeing with the words forming in her mind, ‘The code is clear, it’s too dangerous to form any attachments. I need to break this off before things go too far.’

Sighing at her own thoughts, she finally pressed the communicator as she still tried to combat her erratic breathing, parts of her vision still replaying in her head. “Jacen?” she asked hesitantly, still unsure whether she would even be able to talk to him about what had happened.

“Ahsoka, we’ve arrived at Florrum.” Jacen replied, the sound of beeping ship controls echoing through the communicator, “I thought you’d want the update.” he added somewhat awkwardly.

“I’ll be right there.” Ahsoka said, quickly closing off the comm. She immediately felt a little guilty for being quite cold with him. No matter how much she told herself it was wrong, it didn’t mean that she hadn’t enjoyed the kiss. It was, afterall, her first proper kiss, not including the one Lux had quickly given her on Carlac. And it felt natural, and good! It wasn’t too awkward like she had expected it to be, but rather passionate and exciting.

Shaking her head, Ahsoka jumped off her bed and started to make her way to the cockpit.

Jacen continued to stare at his wrist communicator with a sense of guilt. He wished now that he had never made any sort of move on Ahsoka, especially after all she had said about the code. 

Sure, he didn’t know much, if anything, about the Jedi and their ways. But, what he did know was that he held a great amount of respect for the order after they helped to free his planet. Ahsoka included, even though she was no longer a Jedi.

Despite this, he had still gone and pushed her too far, fully knowing the consequences of his actions which definitely didn’t help the situation. He needed to apologise so that they could move on and forget this whole thing ever happened.

Not that it would be easy to do, especially with how closely they had bonded recently. Perhaps it was the fact that they weren’t allowed to accept their feelings that only made them feel more attracted to each other. A forbidden romance of sorts.

‘What am I saying, Ahsoka doesn’t hold any attraction for me. What we have is purely platonic. Just friends, nothing more’ Jacen quickly corrected himself as he turned back to the ship’s controls to distract himself. Despite what he constantly told himself, he knew that she had enjoyed their kiss as much as he had, he just had a feeling.

Jacen was soon brought out of what he liked to call his ‘wishful thinking’ as Ahsoka entered the cockpit. He turned to face her, giving a gentle smile to try and ease any tension between them. “Hey,” he began, watching her intently, “We can start to descend now if you’re ready?”

Ahsoka’s attention was focused on the control panels however, and Jacen was surprised to see a small smirk forming, “If we try to land at this speed, we will burn up the moment we hit the atmosphere.” Ahsoka teased with a slight chuckle, surprisingly not being overly serious about the fact that they could have just been incinerated, “You need to turn on the repulsors if you want a smooth entry.” 

“I was about to do that, don’t worry.” Jacen quickly replied, trying to find the control for the repulsor engines as Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

She continued to watch him scramble around with an amused expression, “How did you get us this far in one piece?” she teased, causing Jacen to let out a sigh, much to Ahsoka’s enjoyment.

“Hey, I did say you were the better pilot.” he replied, a smile on his face too, “Besides, I can’t be that bad, we’re still alive aren’t we?”

Unable to take it any longer, Ahsoka sat down in the co-pilot's seat next to Jacen, immediately finding and flipping the switch for the repulsor engines. 

“I was about to do that too-” Jacen started, causing Ahsoka to let out a slight giggle again.

“Sure you were.”

“This ship is completely different to anything I’ve flown before, I just need to learn the controls that’s all.”

“That makes two of us,” Ahsoka replied with a smirk, “I mean have you seen the bathroom in this ship? Most ships don’t even have a bathroom!” 

Jacen simply grinned, happy that they hadn’t become awkward around each other. ‘Maybe she didn’t mind the kiss? Although her reaction said otherwise.’

“So, what’s the plan? Won’t they track our ship?” Jacen asked in an effort to move the conversation onwards as their ship began its descent.

“We should be fine,” Ahsoka replied as she continued to focus on the ship's thruster controls, “Hondo’s fortress was pretty much destroyed by General Grievous. I don’t think they will have any way of tracking us, but we should land far away from the base just to be sure.” she said, glancing at Jacen and noticing how he looked slightly puzzled, “Tell me you’ve heard of Grievous?”

“I’ve heard his name, and that he’s the leader of the droid armies, but apart from that I don’t really know much no.” he replied simply.

Ahsoka was quite shocked at that statement, especially considering all of the terror and destruction that the General and his droids would bring to worlds. Then again, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone not associated with the military to actually know who Grievous was. Jacen had lived a pretty sheltered life in the underworld from what she knew, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to be too aware of Grievous.

As if picking up on her confusion, Jacen decided to explain a little more. “I mean I hardly even know anything about the Jedi and Sith, they’re just names that I’ve heard from others. It’s why I was so shocked when you actually admitted you were once a Jedi. Despite how destructive this war has been, life has gone on as normal for most of us on Coruscant.”

“So you don’t even know what a Jedi _actually_ is?” Ahsoka asked, somewhat amused.

“What I do know is that the stories people speak of aren’t true. You are the most compassionate person I have ever met, I can’t understand how anyone can hold resentment towards the Jedi. I mean, they helped liberate my planet when the Senate refused to act, saving countless lives including my own.” Jacen concluded, Ahsoka giving him a shy smile. 

Ahsoka realised that Jacen always had a way of offering thoughtful compliments without trying to be too pushy. He was genuinely just a kind person, something that could be hard to come by from Ahsoka’s experience. 

“So then what do I need to know about this Hondo?” Jacen asked after a short moment of silence.

“That he’s incredibly dangerous depending on his mood, and that he will do _anything_ for a profit. Oh, and make sure you don’t drink anything he offers, my Master got drugged and captured that way once.” she added with a chuckle.

“Now that’s a story I want to hear some day.” Jacen remarked as they passed the atmosphere of Florrum.

“Now obviously we don't have the Kyber crystals Hondo demanded, so we need to make sure we can sneak in undetected. Once we’re in, we find Kendar, break him out, then get back to the ship.” Ahsoka quickly summarised, only just forming the plan in her head now. 

“What if something goes wrong?” Jacen asked, to which Ahsoka gave him a mischievous glance.

“Then we improvise.” 

It was something that seemed to work for Anakin quite often, and so she saw no reason why it shouldn’t work for them.

CORUSCANT - DOCKING PLATFORM 7-B

Obi-Wan Kenobi continued to pace around the dock for what was probably the seventh time since arriving with Plo Koon. He was carefully analysing _everything_ to make sure that they weren’t missing some obvious clue. Yet the more he retraced his steps, the more disappointed he was.

“I trust you are finding this as difficult as I am.” the calm voice of Master Plo brought Obi-Wan out of his inner thoughts. He turned to face the Jedi Master as he continued to stroke his beard, something he often did when deep in thought.

“Yes, whoever is behind this is being rather- elusive.” Obi-Wan replied with a sigh.

“Perhaps the Council is right. I don’t believe we will have any hopes of uncovering evidence now.” Plo Koon muttered.

“Yes, perhaps they were correct. Clearly someone doesn’t want us finding any evidence.”

“And yet I still sense you wish to continue this investigation?” Plo Koon asked politely. He didn’t want to be rude, as he wanted to help Ahsoka as much as he could. But then he also understood when he could see a lost cause.

“Master Jedi,” came the voice of the Superintendent who was almost running towards them, breaking off the two Jedi’s conversation. “Sorry to interrupt, but I might have a lead for you.”

This immediately piqued Obi-Wan’s interest, “A lead? What kind of lead?”

“A taxi driver who might have some information on some suspects, I think it’s best if you come and talk to him directly.”

Both Obi-Wan and Plo Koon nodded, and proceeded to follow the officer to the taxi driver in question. From Obi-Wan’s first impressions, he was probably in his mid-40’s. He was quite a small man and Obi-Wan could sense a strong feeling of unease radiating from him. The moment he saw the two Jedi he stood up to greet them.

“Master Jedi, I know how this must look, but I promise I had no part in this.” he started, stuttering slightly as he spoke. He was quite clearly afraid, but Obi-Wan couldn’t work out if it was because he was speaking to the Jedi, or if he was hiding something.

“Don’t worry, my friend, we’re here to help. What is it that you have for us?” Obi-Wan replied calmly, hoping to put the anxious man at ease.

“It’s quite a long story and- well, I will try to keep it as short as possible.”

The taxi driver ran through how he had picked Ahsoka up from the diner, and how he had been told to follow a speeder to this dock.

“Did you get a look at who was controlling the speeder?” Plo Koon asked cautiously, concerned that there might be yet another suspect.

“I- I’m not sure. The passenger said that he was a friend, I think he looked like an Ithorian, but I’m not certain.” 

This immediately put both the Jedi’s minds at rest, as they knew that there wasn’t somebody else involved for now. The simpler they could keep this, the easier it would be to identify the suspects.

“Master Jedi, if I may interrupt, we did come across a speeder bike during our sweep of the area. We assumed that the bike had been abandoned before the skirmish, as it was in poor condition when we retrieved it.” the Superintendent interjected, once again capturing the attention of Obi-Wan.

“And where is this speeder now?” he asked, knowing it could contain a critical link to the identity of the contact the Ithorian, Oren, was meeting. He was also a little annoyed that the officer was only just mentioning this now.

“It was sent to the local station for analysis. It hasn’t been touched since we retrieved it, but I must warn you it’s in pretty bad condition. I’m surprised the Ithorian was even able to drive it this far. I can take you both there shortly if you’d like to analyse it yourself?” the officer asked.

“That would be most useful.” Plo Koon replied, then turning back to the taxi driver. “Is there anything else you saw?”

The driver hesitated for a moment, “Well- I thought that this dock was far too dangerous for such a young person to be exploring on her own. I thought I’d come back and check on her, and that’s when I saw a ship leave the dock.”

Obi-Wan and Plo Koon exchanged glances as the driver said this. Ahsoka had mentioned that the crystals were dropped off, although she didn’t go into much detail about the ship or the people who left with it. All they knew is that they were hooded, and any hope of discovering their identity died with Oren. Or at least for now.

“It was a freighter I think, although I don’t know my ships well enough to tell you the model. That’s when I saw all the explosions not long after, and so I decided it wasn’t worth my life and ran.” the driver continued, clearly carrying a slight sense of guilt with him for not staying to help.

“Do you think you would be able to identify the ship if you saw it?” the Superintendent asked.

“I can’t see why not, I got a pretty good look at it. Ships never land on this dock, so it definitely caught my attention.”

“Very well,” the Superintendent said, clearly happy to be making some progress in his investigation, “I’ll have one of my officers show you some images of the most used freighters, and by going off witness accounts, we may be able to narrow down the results slightly and get a lead.”

Obi-Wan was satisfied with that solution, “Thank you, and I’d quite like to take a look at that speeder bike now.” he added, Plo Koon nodding in agreement. Perhaps this would hold some key to the identity of the mysterious contact?

CORUSCANT - SENATE BUILDING - PALPATINE’S OFFICE

Palpatine anxiously intertwined his fingers as he sat in his office chair. It wasn’t often that anything would make him feel nervous, not even all the plotting he did on a daily basis, especially with all of the risks involved. But the news he awaited was _huge_. 

Significant progress had already been made on the Kyber crystal research. He was still waiting to hear just exactly what ‘significant’ meant, as it was often exaggerated, but he was holding out hope that the weapon might actually be ready sooner rather than later.

The communicator on his desk began to flash, and Palpatine eagerly pressed it. 

“Your Excellency, Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin and Commander Orson Krennic are here to see you.” came the voice of his elite senate guard stationed outside.

“Very good. Let them in.” Palpatine said briskly, standing up to meet his guests.

“Good day Chancellor,” exclaimed Tarkin, who almost pushed in front of Krennic in order to be the first to address Palpatine, “I trust you have been informed of our progress with the Kyber research?”

“I have yes, and I am eager to hear the results.” Palpatine said calmly.

“Your Excellency,” Krennic spoke up, “the Kyber crystals create an immense quantity of energy when charged. My science division believes there is a way to harness this power to create an energy source, and I have them working away on that now.”

Palpatine nodded, “That is good to hear, Commander, although I do believe those were already your instructions?”

“Indeed, Chancellor, but they have also discovered that this energy can be harnessed into a beam of pure, destructive power. The potential is immense, and I believe that this is the key to the weapon you are looking for.” Krennic stated proudly, smirking at Tarkin as he finished. He knew that this discovery would get him a great promotion, perhaps even the head of the project, something he knew Tarkin wanted equally as much.

“However, what _Commander_ Krennic has failed to acknowledge is that we have no way to create a power source of the scale originally planned.” he added mockingly as he took a step towards the Chancellor. “I’m afraid that Krennic is being overly ambitious, as the Kyber crystals we have access to are nowhere near large enough to power the DS-1’s main weapon, and there are none that we know of that would be capable of holding such a quantity of energy.”

Palpatine continued to observe as the two men carried on with their debate, listening closely and taking in all of the details. He despised such petty arguments, however in this case it was allowing him to observe both points of view, which was most useful.

Krennic gave Tarkin a scowl, then turned back to Palpatine, “Despite this, there may be a way to improve the situation.” he started, carrying on after Palpatine gave him a slight nod of the head, “It might be possible to channel multiple beams into one crystal, increasing the magnitude of the main energy beam, enhancing its destructive capabilities.”

_“Destructive capabilities?”_ Tarkin scoffed, “It won’t even have enough power to level a building, never mind destroy a planet!”

Krennic ignored his remark, instead focusing on the Chancellor, “As far as I’m concerned, this is a major breakthrough. By increasing the power input, it will only make it more destructive. I can’t see any issues with this, only potential.”

“Do you even know if the structure of the crystal can handle that much power?” Tarkin sternly questioned, “If the crystal was to lose its integrity, it could cause an explosion that would destroy years of hard work. The entire station could be disintegrated. All it takes is one mistake, and then the Jedi and Senate are aware. You don’t even know if this will work!”

Krennic sighed, knowing that this was the main flaw in his plan, “Unfortunately, we do not yet know if this is possible on such a scale.” he admitted, much to the disappointment of Palpatine who was correct on the ‘over exaggeration’, “Which is why I need permission to begin unrestricted testing immediately. The current energy input has been scaled down, but without any restrictions we could see more promising results.”

Tarkin let out a slight laugh at this, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, as the Jedi mystics are watching our every move.” Tarkin then once again focused on Palpatine, “Chancellor, I’m afraid that this entire project is an immense waste of resources. I firmly believe we would be better focusing our efforts elsewhere.”

“To think we are so close to unlocking its secrets.” Palpatine finally said after a long moment of silence, “This could be the key to bringing a swift end to the Clone War, ending the suffering of so many lives across the galaxy.” He then returned to his desk and sat down, looking at Krennic, “What is the current strength of the energy beam?”

“We were able to slice through a thin block of durasteel, and that is only at a fraction of its power. At full power, it would likely be able to tear through an entire starship.” Krennic responded, happy with the progress they had made so far.

“What concerns me is the potential for something to go wrong. Chancellor, I think we are taking an awfully large risk, at least whilst ever the Jedi are heavily involved with the military.” Tarkin quickly stated, his support for the removal of the Jedi from as many military operations as possible once again showing. “As long as the Jedi have ties with the military, there is a risk of them finding out about the project before it is ready.”

He firmly believed that the Jedi were more of a hindrance than they were an advantage on the battlefield. Their ways of completing tasks made no strategic sense to Tarkin, and he couldn’t understand why the Chancellor insisted they remained generals.

Palpatine gave them both a smile, “You have both given me much to think about. For now, continue your research as best you can under the current restrictions. I will contact you both when I reach a decision about the project.”

As much as Palpatine could understand where Tarkin was coming from, this weapon had a lot of potential. ‘All that needs to happen now is for the weapon to _find its way_ into Separatist hands.’ Palpatine thought to himself as he continued to smile at the two men who began to leave his office. He was sure General Grievous would be more than happy to test this weapon on civilians. Besides, a small crisis every now and then would ensure the Jedi keep their attention on the war, rather than the Senate.

CORUSCANT - CANTHAM HOUSE - BAIL ORGANA’S OFFICE

“The fact that the Chancellor still has unrestricted emergency powers is most disturbing.” came the concerned voice of Mon Mothma as she took a seat around a small table in Bail Organa’s office, “Palpatine’s authority is growing, it won’t be long before the Senate starts to change.”

Both Padmé and Bail joined Mothma at the table, both knowing what she spoke of was true. It had become clear to them that Palpatine’s emergency powers had allowed him to start to modify the very foundations of the Senate, all without any interference due to the focus on the war effort.

Bail was the last to sit, pouring them each a glass of alcohol from an elegant looking decanter. “The Senate has already started to change.” Bail stated solemnly, as he finally took a seat, “And I can’t see the Chancellor giving up his powers any time soon.” 

“Then we must do _something_.” Padmé interjected, “There are many senators who no doubt feel the same way, they’re just too afraid to speak up. Remember what happened when we tried to beat the bill for more military funding?”

Bail grimaced slightly at the memory. Many senators, including himself, were attacked to try and ‘persuade’ them to vote against the bill. 

Mon Mothma sighed, “I’m not sure if there is much we can do. Whilst ever this war continues, the Chancellor won’t agree to return power back to the Senate, which means he will be able to continue modifying our democracy with relative ease.”

“Perhaps we should speak to the Jedi Council? I can’t believe they are any happier about this than we are.” Mothma continued, earning a slight nod from Padmé.

“There is a Jedi I trust, maybe he will be able to talk to the Chancellor.” Padmé suggested quietly, the thought of Anakin making her feel rather depressed. She already missed him so much, and he hadn’t even been gone for that long. She couldn’t wait for the war to be over so they could finally be together.

Bail however couldn’t agree with them on this one, knowing that involving themselves with the Jedi might cause more trouble than it would do good. “The Jedi are too busy with the war to help us, I don’t think it would be wise to concern them yet. Besides, with how public opinion is towards the Jedi, it might only worsen our efforts.”

“That is possible.” Padmé mumbled, disappointed that the Jedi name had become so tarnished over time, “But we can’t ignore the situation within the Senate. The ideals of our democracy are slowly drifting to that of an authoritarian regime! We need to act now before it’s too late.”

“Then we need to rally more senators to our cause, perhaps we will be able to petition the Chancellor to start giving more power back to the senate once we have more voices behind us.” Mothma stated, taking a short drink from her glass afterwards.

The idea of Palpatine slowly changing the democracy of the Republic was frightening, but it wasn’t completely out of the question. No Chancellor had ever had so much support from the people, he was considered a hero. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have his own hidden agenda.

“It will be hard to gain much support, we might be accused as Separatists by most of the Senate.” Bail replied, still not fully convinced. He was a man of principle, and some even believed he would be a good option for a new Chancellor once the war was over. However, despite his influence, he couldn’t imagine being able to persuade enough people to make a significant difference in the Senate. But they might be able to do something, which he considered to be far better than nothing.

“I’d prefer the term _loyalist_. We just want to see the Republic restored to what it once was.” Mothma countered, despite knowing full well that most senators wouldn’t see it that way.

“Then we must start as soon as possible,” Padmé stated as she stood up from her chair, “the more signatures we get the greater effect we will have.”

With all the senators in agreement, they finally felt like they might have a way of challenging Palpatine’s growth of power.

FLORRUM - DOSHAR FIELDS

“Of all the places they had to set up their base, they chose a desert!” Jacen grumbled as he stepped out of the freighter into the blistering heat.

“Don’t like sand?” Ahsoka asked teasingly with a smirk as the two walked down the ship’s ramp to the dusty surface of Florrum.

“I’ve seen better things.” Jacen replied as he subconsciously looked at Ahsoka. Not wanting to make things awkward if she saw that as a compliment, he quickly moved the conversation onwards. “So where actually is this Hondo?”

Either unaware of the compliment, or just choosing to ignore it, Ahsoka’s eyes remained unwavered as she continued to look at him, “On the other side of these fields. It’s gonna be a long walk.” she almost groaned, wishing they could have just landed outside the base. She had to agree with Jacen, deserts really were horrible, and she had no idea how Anakin coped for so many years. ‘Although I don’t think he did.’ Ahsoka thought to herself, knowing how much he hated Tatooine.

Unfortunately they had no other choice but to walk. They couldn’t risk losing the ship to Hondo and his gang, and they didn’t have enough credits left to buy any speeder bikes. Ahsoka considered that to be an important next purchase however, as there was more than enough space in the cargo hold to house a couple of speeders. 

They had both packed everything they needed for the walk. Especially plenty of water, and their weapons of course. No matter how much he denied it, Ahsoka knew how jealous Jacen was of her new blaster. She hadn’t actually been able to properly test it yet, although part of her hoped she wouldn’t have to. Besides, she was never really the ‘blaster-type’, and she often found herself wishing she still had her lightsabers.

The pair began their walk through the fields in a comfortable silence, although Ahsoka could sense there was something on Jacen’s mind. She didn’t like intruding on his thoughts, although she didn’t even need the force to notice, and she knew exactly what it was about.

“Jacen, I- I think we need to talk.” she started, not really sure how to proceed. She had no experience in, well, _this_ kind of thing, and so she had no idea how to actually handle the emotions she had been feeling lately.

“Yeah, I think we do.” he replied after a slight pause, the air around them turning slightly awkward.

“Well, I- I think it’s best I start with an apology, what I did was out of order and I’m sorry.” Jacen suddenly stated.

“Jacen, you don’t need to apologise-”

“I’m sorry but I do. you’ve told me countless times about the Jedi code, yet I still went and kissed you.” Jacen politely interrupted, causing Ahsoka to blush slightly at the memory.

“Jacen-”

Before Ahsoka could continue, she noticed Jacen had stopped walking besides her. She’d been focusing too much attention on the ground below her that she didn’t even realise what was now before them.

“What is that?” he asked as he slowly walked back by her side, but not too close.

“It looks like what’s left of an old Nu-class shuttle, it probably crashed here a long time ago.” Ahsoka replied with slightly squinted eyes due to the sun being quite intense on Florrum during the day. It was hard to fully make out what was left of the shuttle, but she was certain of the ship's model, having been in one of these shuttles many times in the past. 

“Should we take a look inside?” Jacen asked, cautiously placing one of his hands over one of his pistol holsters. It looked like the perfect place for an ambush if they were spotted earlier.

Ahsoka thought for a moment, the wreckage looked quite old, so she didn’t expect to come across any survivors or scavengers. She remembered Anakin telling her the story about how himself and Obi-Wan were rescued from Hondo, and there was definitely a ship sent with a ransom that didn’t check in. 

However despite being curious, she didn’t want to get caught out by a pirate patrol.

“We can take a _quick_ look. But we don’t want to stay around here for long, there’s no cover if we get spotted.” she finally replied, as the two slowly walked closer to the crash site.

The first thing she noticed was what appeared to be a grave, as a small pile of rubble had been gathered together with an ancient staff stuck into the middle. Ahsoka was a little surprised that the pirates hadn’t looted the staff. ‘Perhaps even pirates have some respect’ she thought to herself as she glanced towards Jacen.

He was looking through the wrecked ship with great interest. It made Ahsoka smirk, as she had never sensed someone be so excited about a crashed shuttle. She guessed it was because it was the first military ship he had ever gotten a close look at, reminding her of the excitement she felt when she first set foot on a ship. 

“Having fun?” she asked teasingly as she looked around at the surrounding area. There were multiple geysers, as well as a few large animals gathered around them. She’d never seen anything like them before.

“This thing is amazing!” Jacen responded enthusiastically, not noticing the large smirk on Ahsoka’s face.

“If you think this is impressive, wait until you see a Venator.” she joked.

Jacen didn’t respond however, more focused on an old crate he had found underneath some durasteel. Opening it, he let out a sigh as he noticed it was empty, most likely looted by pirates.

The pair were then startled as the ground below them started to tremble violently. Suddenly, one of the geysers started to explode, scaring the Skalder creatures around it. The explosion resulted in an acidic rainfall that started to burn the ground below them. 

Grabbing Ahsoka’s arm, Jacen started to quickly pull her into the safety of the old ship. “Acid, we need to move!”

Once safely inside, Ahsoka gave him a warm smile as she muttered a ‘thanks’, looking down at her arm. Jacen realised he was still holding onto her, and quickly let go before he made her feel uncomfortable.

Even under the cover of the wrecked shuttle, the heat was still almost unbearable.

“It’s going to be a long walk to the base.” he mumbled with a sigh, already feeling exhausted due to the heat. He noticed the geyser had settled again, not wanting to be caught out by another surprise explosion. “And I don’t think it’s a good idea staying here for too long, even if it’s too hot out there.”

Ahsoka could only agree with him, as she already felt like she could do with a good rest and they had hardly even made any distance yet. “Yeah, we’d best get walking again, I don’t want to think what they’re even doing to Kendar right now.”

Jacen’s attention then turned to the creatures outside the ship, forming a wide grin as he started to think up a crazy plan.

It didn’t take long for Ahsoka to notice, “What? What’s so- oh, surely not?” she asked in surprise, following his eyes to the Skalder in the distance.

“I can’t see why it wouldn’t work-”

“Don’t tell me you’re really thinking about riding those things to the base?” Ahsoka interrupted, almost laughing at the thought.

“Why not? It can’t be that hard.” he replied with a smirk, walking out of the shelter of the ship and towards the creatures with a strong sense of self assurance.

Ahsoka was going to call him back, as she had a plan to try and tame the creatures. But instead, she simply sat back, amused at his overconfidence.

He slowly approached the creatures, singling one of them out. Holding out his hand, he was actually able to briefly touch the Skalder, much to Ahsoka’s surprise. Clearly feeling much more assured with his own plan, Jacen then quickly jumped onto its back, startling it and causing the creature to break out into a sprint. Despite holding on as well as he could, it wasn’t long before Jacen was quickly thrown off and onto the ground.

Concerned when he didn’t immediately get back up from the ground, Ahsoka started to run over to him as quickly as she could. “Jacen!”

He was laid on his back, but it looked like he had mostly fallen on his right side due to a few tears in his jacket. Ahsoka couldn’t imagine it being a pleasant fall. Florrum’s surface wasn’t exactly the most pleasant in the galaxy.

Kneeling down, she quickly checked him over, noticing he had landed on rougher terrain. There was a fairly large tear in the right sleeve of his jacket, which she assumed would be where the worst of the damage was. “Are you alright?”

“Hurt nothing but my pride.” he joked as he tried to push himself up, letting out a slight grimace.

“Your arm is in pretty bad shape.” Ahsoka said as she gently lifted it to closely inspect the wound. It was bleeding from multiple scratches and cuts, having received the worst of the fall. Despite Jacen insisting he was fine, Ahsoka knew that it needed cleaning up.

Pulling her backpack from her shoulders, she pulled out one of the bottles of water. Slowly pulling up the jacket sleeve, she tried to keep her hands as steady as possible. “Hey, this might sting a little, ok?” 

Jacen nodded in response, gritting his teeth as Ahsoka slowly poured the cold water over his wounds. “Sorry about the pain.” she said quietly, realising that the cuts were a little deeper than she first realised. At least it got the job done, washing out any bits of dust or sand that had gotten caught inside.

Pulling out a bacta patch, she carefully placed it over the deepest cuts, covering them perfectly. She gently pressed down on the corners of the patch ensuring it was well stuck on. They both remained silent, Ahsoka becoming conscious of the fact he was just staring at her.

Making eye contact, she was immediately lost in his gaze for a few moments. Her hand subconsciously continued to caress his injured arm, as their emotions spoke much louder than words. She had never really taken any time to actually take in much of Jacen, as she slowly broke eye contact and allowed her eyes to wander. She liked that his skin wasn’t rough, apart from the areas that had been scratched due to the fall. It felt nice against the touch of her own hand, despite being very hot due to the heat. She thought he had a good body too. He didn’t have much muscle at all, but he definitely put effort into his fitness, and it did show. She continued to allow her hand to rest on his arm as their eyes met again, but this time she only saw curiosity in his eyes.

Returning to reality, Ahsoka quickly pulled her hand away, starting to place things back into the backpack. 

“Thank you.” Jacen whispered, as he tried to make eye contact again, only to find her trying to look at anything _but_ him. 

He did notice a small smile appear on her lips however, “It was a good effort,” she replied, “for a moment I thought you nearly had it.”

“You're going to need a new jacket too.” she commented whilst helping him up from the ground. She glanced around them, checking for any sign of pirates. They had already been here longer than she had wanted.

Jacen didn’t reply, clearly still in some pain. He had most likely injured more than just his arm, but they would have to wait until they could get back to the ship’s medbay. “Maybe you should head back?” Ahsoka suggested, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“No, I’m coming with you, trust me it’s not that bad.” he replied, “Although it’s going to take a while on foot. How are we even going to get Kendar out? He might not even be in a condition to walk.”

“Jacen, you’re not in a condition to walk either, let me take you back.”

“I’m fine, please trust me. It was only a slight fall, nothing serious.” 

Knowing better than to argue with him, Ahsoka decided to take a try at taming the creatures herself. It would be the fastest way to the base, and it would be a good way to get them out afterwards. Jacen could be right, as they had no idea what condition Kendar would even be in.

And at least now she knew not to try and jump on one straight away!

Slowly raising her hand, Ahsoka started to reach out to the creatures with the force. Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing and focused hard on a small group of them gathered around a nearby geyser. She could sense their stress, as well as some fear, which she assumed was due to the slightly trembling ground below them. The geyser was starting to become unstable and would explode again soon, so she needed to be quick.

“Ahsoka? What are you doing?” a confused Jacen asked, having never actually witnessed any Jedi powers before.

Completely immersed within the force around her, Ahsoka didn’t even take any notice, continuing to focus on the creatures. They were starting to settle down due to her influence, and so Ahsoka chose the calmest three Skalder and had them walk towards her.

Almost hypnotised by the force, the beasts followed her commands as Ahsoka slowly started to open her eyes again. Jacen could only watch in awe, having never seen anything like that before. The creatures were drawn to her, like she was some sort of ethereal being. 

Glancing at Jacen and shooting him a smirk, Ahsoka confidently walked up to one of the Skalder, slowly moving her hand towards its head. The creature suddenly closed the distance, pressing its head against her hand and allowing her to gently pet the beast.

“Impressive!” Jacen stated enthusiastically. “I didn’t even know you could do that!”

Ahsoka chuckled, realising how alien her force powers must be to him. 

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me you could have done that _before_ that thing launched me onto the ground!” he joked, wishing he hadn’t been so eager now.

“Part of me wanted to see you fall off,” Ahsoka teased with a grin, “although I’m sorry you got injured.”

“That one’s on me, I deserved it really.”

Jacen cautiously stepped towards one of the beasts, a little intimidated after being thrown off so easily earlier. Slowly raising a hand towards it’s head, he quickly jumped away as the beast let out a slight growl.

“I’m not sure if this is a great idea.” he started as he glanced at Ahsoka with a desperate expression, “Maybe walking won’t be too bad afterall.”

“Calm yourself.” Ahsoka said softly, “It can feel your fear, you're only making it as uneasy as you are.”

“It can read my mind?” Jacen asked, slightly confused, his bluntness making Ahsoka let out a slight giggle.

“Kind of. The force resides in all life forms, it’s what binds everything together.” she stated, “Whilst it can’t manipulate the force, it can have a _slight_ connection to you, and you to it.”

She slowly walked up to Jacen, placing her hand gently on his back, “Close your eyes, steady your breathing.” Ahsoka almost whispered, “Don't see the creature as a threat, then it won’t see you as one either.”

Closing his eyes, Jacen started to take deep breaths. His breathing was still quite erratic after being thrown off the creature’s back earlier, so it was no surprise that he wasn't the calmest he’d ever been.

Having followed her advice, Jacen once again tried to carefully offer his hand. “That’s it, be confident. You need to earn its trust.” Ahsoka added, removing her hand from his back and taking a step away, not wanting to interfere too much.

Despite the occasional growl from the creature, Jacen pushed on, until his hand just hovered over the head of the Skalder. To his surprise, it actually allowed him to stroke it’s head, giving Jacen a strong sense of achievement much to Ahsoka’s entertainment.

“Well done, you got it!” Ahsoka exclaimed, giving him a smile.

Jacen returned the smile, still clearly proud of what he had just been able to accomplish, “So then, shall we?” Ahsoka asked as she mounted one of the Skalder with ease.

“Yeah, let’s get going. We don’t know how much longer Kendar has in there.” he replied with a slight grimace as he tried to jump onto his mount. In truth, his injuries were slightly worse than he was letting on. His entire back was starting to ache as well as his head. It had been a pretty heavy fall. Not wanting to worry Ahsoka, he gritted his teeth as he tried again, jumping onto the Skalder despite the pain. 

He knew he needed to be there for Ahsoka, especially if these pirates were as dangerous as she had said before. He didn’t doubt her strength, but the odds were certainly against them.

One thing was for sure, it would take quite a while to reach the base, even with the mounts. Both Ahsoka and Jacen could only hope Kendar would still be alive by the time they got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed :)
> 
> I was pretty tired when reading through this to check for errors, so let me know if there are any spelling mistakes etc and I will fix them as soon as I can.
> 
> I kind of felt like some of the Ahsoka and Jacen stuff could be considered 'filler', but I really need to start progressing onto the next part of the plot, and to do that I need the characters' relatiosnships to develop slightly. I think it turned out ok in the end, but please let me know what you think!
> 
> I don't think there's anything I really need to go over in this chapter. As always, please leave some comments for me, I love to hear back from you guys and it really keeps me going. Sorry if you have been waiting a while for a new chapter, I hope you understand the circumstances that I have been under. Thank you!! :)


	13. Crystal Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Plo Koon investigate further, Anakin and Tiplee contact the Council. Rex and Doom secure Ringo Vinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for the short delay. Hope you guys enjoy! :)
> 
> Oh, and thank you so so so much for all of the comments and kudos for the last chapter, it really means the world to me! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this. I will try to update as quickly as I can, but sometimes I don't always have time to just sit down and write. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy! :)

** CORUSCANT - LEVEL 1312 - 1312 POLICE STATION **

Despite having to wait a short while, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon were finally taken to the local station to inspect the speeder. The Superintendent had been too occupied with a possible new lead, so instead he left the Jedi Masters in the ‘capable’ hands of Sergeant Malek. 

Despite the high rank, and the Superintendent's assurances that the young man was more than capable, Obi-Wan wasn’t convinced. It wasn’t often that younger people achieved such high ranks, and it was usually due to political influences if they did. For now he was going to be cautious, as it still wasn’t clear who was involved in this intricate web of a plot. It was plausible that the police force could be involved, and Obi-Wan knew he would have to be careful until they knew how widespread this threat was.

The police station itself was fairly run down, with only a handful of police droids on site. It was concerning that the authorities were in such a bad state.

“As you can see, it’s not as luxurious as your temple.” Sergeant Malek suddenly stated, bringing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. It was an attempt to make a conversation with some kind of joke, but neither Jedi paid it any attention. 

“Just a joke…” he grunted, guiding the Jedi through the lifeless station and to what was a series of corridors, some of the walls having built in cells. Obi-Wan and Plo Koon exchanged glances, both realising just how poor quality the conditions were. They actually felt bad for the few prisoners that had ended up in here. Had the Jedi really been that focused on the war effort that they had let the lower levels of Coruscant become this bad. 

Ahsoka was right. They had let these people down.

“We don’t get nearly enough Government funding ever since this war started.” Malek murmured, clearly feeling the sense of disapproval from the two Jedi, “Unfortunately, we can’t improve the condition of the cells even if we wanted to.”

“You should still be funded well enough to provide decent standards of living, even if they are criminals.” Obi-Wan replied, not happy with his response.

Pretty much all of the cells didn’t even have beds or toilets, and most of the prisoners looked like they were literally on death’s door. They were in a sad state, and Obi-Wan couldn’t help but pity them.

“Welcome to the lower levels, Master Jedi.” the Sergeant responded sarcastically.

“Well you receive some funding, what exactly does that go to?” Plo Koon asked as the group continued to walk down a long corridor.

“Our equipment isn’t cheap ya know. Not to mention all the salaries I have to pay and so on.” the Sergeant mumbled, quickly bringing the conversation to a close as the group reached a large door.

Obi-Wan and Plo Koon exchanged glances again, knowing full well that there was more to that previous conversation that the Sergeant was letting on. Corruption had become quite common in the Government, but the Jedi didn’t have time to address the matter _yet_.

Malek pulled out a card and swiped the lock, taking a few attempts to actually unlock the door. With a sigh, he pushed it open and gestured for the two Jedi to enter. “Welcome to the impound,” he said, “we keep any vehicles we- well, _acquire_ , in this storage facility.”

Letting the door close, the officer took the lead, taking the two Jedi through the small maze of speeders and small starships. 

“Quite a collection.” Obi-Wan commented, inspecting some of the vehicles as they walked past. Most of them were in poor condition, most likely not even operable anymore.

“Isn’t it just. We’re hoping to expand this area once we actually receive more funding, it’s getting pretty full in here.” Malek stated as he brought the Jedi to the corner of the facility.

“Here’s the speeder bike we retrieved from the dock.” the officer said, sounding almost bored as the group came to a stop. “As you can see, it’s in no condition to even be used. I don’t see what relevance this even has to your investigation.”

“And you’re sure this is the same speeder bike that was used by the Ithorian?” Plo Koon asked, watching as Obi-Wan took a closer look at the old speeder.

“Well, we have no identity match on the Ithorian, as we didn’t even know he was at the scene until recently. Peculiar isn’t it, he just disappears after a firefight and now we have no trace of him.” Malek responded as he stared at the speeder bike.

“We checked the bike for DNA samples but found nothing,” the officer continued, “and considering the state of the bike we just assumed it had nothing to do with the skirmish at the docks. No one has touched it since we brought it here.”

Plo Koon nodded, kneeling down at the front of the speeder. It was an old Joben T-85 speeder with a very damaged power core. Theoretically, it could have been used in this state, but it would have been very dangerous and would have probably exploded if put under much pressure.

“It is possible the speeder was damaged during the firefight.” Plo Koon stated as he cautiously traced the power core with his hand.

“I’m afraid not. The speeder was far away from where the skirmish took place, so I don’t see that being possible. Blasters are sometimes quite inaccurate in the wrong hands, and we didn’t come across any blaster marks on the nearby crates.”

“And how long after the skirmish was it until you arrived at the scene?” Obi-Wan finally spoke up after a short period of inspecting the bike from afar.

“Eh, a couple of hours afterwards, it’s hard to make a precise judgement. We don’t really have time to keep track of those things down here.” the officer shared in a dry tone.

“A couple of _hours?_ ” Obi-Wan responded, shocked at how unprofessional the law enforcement was in the lower levels.

“Complain to the Chancellor, not me. If we had more funding then I would have enough units to respond to crime down here. Do you _actually_ have any idea how many calls we get every day?” the officer remarked with a defensive tone.

Realising they weren’t going to get anywhere with the Sergeant, Obi-Wan just accepted that they would have to agree to disagree for now, just giving the officer a slight nod in acknowledgement. 

“Would you mind giving us a moment?” Obi-Wan asked after a few moments of awkward silence. 

“Yeah, whatever, come and find me if you need anything.” Malek replied as he walked off, giving Obi-Wan a slight glare first.

Obi-Wan shook his head, still not impressed with their lack of care towards the investigation. It was no wonder that evidence was missing, especially if they had left it that long before actually responding to the crime scene.

“I think it’s safe to say we’re at a dead end again.” Plo Koon began as he continued to inspect the speeder. There were no signs of any items that could be used to help them. It was a miracle that the old speeder was even still holding together.

“There’s got to be something, we just need to know where to look.” Obi-Wan replied, still holding on to some hope.

“Whoever our suspect is, they are able to elude us at every corner. They have always been one step ahead of us since we started searching.” Plo stated with a sigh, almost accepting defeat. 

Before Obi-Wan could respond, his holo-communicator began to beep. “More news?” Obi-Wan pondered out loud as he pressed the communicator, “Kenobi here.”

“Master Kenobi, I have some good news.” came the somewhat exhilarated voice of Superintendent Heckmann, “We were able to identify the ship model after some further questioning. It seems to be a Barloz-class freighter.”

“That’s great news, good work.” Obi-Wan replied enthusiastically, also happy to be finally making some more progress. Perhaps this was the lead they were looking for?

“Although there is a slight problem.” 

“What kind of problem?” Plo Koon asked, the two Jedi suddenly feeling less excited about the news.

“Unfortunately, no ships of that model requested to land in the few hours before the crime, and so we have no way to track down the suspects yet. I’m still waiting for confirmation and some data from a few days back, but it isn’t looking good.”

Obi-Wan began to stroke his chin, “They must have switched to the freighter _after_ landing on Coruscant.”

“And it could take months to find it, as it could be on any of the levels.” Plo Koon spoke with a sigh. 

By switching ships after landing, the suspects had made it almost impossible to be tracked. Coruscant was far too vast to ever track down _one_ ship, and so they just had to accept this as a lost cause for now.

Obi-Wan also let out a slight sigh, “Very well, thank you Superintendant.” 

The officer nodded, then closed the comm shortly after.

“I think we may need to re-evaluate the situation.” Plo Koon stated after a short moment of silence. “Perhaps we can find more information at the Ithorian’s home?”

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment. Ahsoka had mentioned that she had been working at a bar for Oren's brother, so perhaps he would have more information. He also didn’t want to give up on the other suspects yet, and was hoping to get permission from the Council to start a wider investigation. He knew it would take a long time and a lot of resources, but smuggling in Kyber crystals to the heart of the Republic could not be allowed to continue.

“That is a possibility. It’s unlikely the authorities have been there, as they weren’t even aware any Ithorians were involved. We will need to move quickly if we are to secure any evidence before it is lost.” Obi-Wan replied.

“I would also like to attempt to locate the smugglers too. We can’t have them roaming free around Coruscant, who knows what they will bring next time.” he added, Plo Koon nodding in agreement.

“Then we have a plan. I will go and visit the Ithorian’s home and try to find some more leads. I will allow you to speak to the Council about a further investigation.” Plo Koon said somewhat humorously, knowing that reporting to the Council could be rather tedious.

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Obi-Wan said dryly as the two Jedi began to leave the impound. “I will speak to the Council from here, be sure to contact me if you find anything.”

* * *

** MID RIM - RINGO VINDA - SEPERATIST COMMAND CENTRE **

The battle for Ringo Vinda had been as difficult as Anakin had anticipated. He had been forced to launch a second attack with what little forces he had left, and was by some miracle able to take the Separatist command centre. 

Luckily, Admiral Yularen had successfully taken out most of the Separatist fleet, which caused the coward Trench and what he had left of his forces to retreat. Rex had also returned to assist him, and his presence on the battlefield was most welcome.

It had come at a great cost however, having lost almost half of his legion. Not to mention Doom’s forces, which were almost completely depleted. Had the 501st not arrived in time, the entire legion could have been wiped out.

What Anakin still couldn’t understand was why Tup had killed Tiplar, and from what he could tell without any hesitation. It was a frightening prospect- the possibility that the entire Clone army could be compromised by a Separatist virus. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had created some kind of pathogen, they had attempted it in the past on Naboo. The truth was, the Clones massively outnumbered the Jedi, and if they were compromised it could lead to terrifying consequences.

He had called Rex back to the frontlines to aid in the last attack, but also in hope that he may have some answers. Unfortunately, Rex was as clueless as Anakin was, and so he would have to be patient for now. 

However, he was finding that hard at the moment, as he was still so frustrated with the Council. Had they just sent some reinforcements, all of this could have been over by now. He couldn’t understand why Obi-Wan wasn’t available to help, and why the Council wouldn’t share where he was.

Standing in what was once the Separatist command centre, Anakin continued to replay the events of the battle in his mind, trying to work out _why_ Tup had betrayed his Jedi.

“General? You wanted to see me Sir.” Rex spoke with a slight hint of trepidation in his voice. All the men had seen it, not just Rex. Anakin had been quieter than usual. He had never led his men into such high casualties before, something he’d promised himself to never let happen after General Krell’s carnage.

Anakin slowly turned around to face his Captain, having been staring out of the window to the hanger below for far too long. 

“Rex- I’m sorry about our losses. We should have never tried to retake this base, it came at too great of a cost.” 

Rex didn’t respond at first, not really sure what to say. 

“Sir,” the Captain started, slowly considering his choice of words, “we had no other choice. Our orders were to take back this station, and we did it.”

Anakin remained silent, still feeling guilty for the loss of every single one of his men. 

“Sir, with all due respect, this is _what_ we are _bred_ for _._ We will follow you until the end, Sir.”

Anakin nodded as a sign of respect, although he was still clearly consumed in thought.

“General, is there something else?” Rex asked as respectfully as he could, not wanting to interrupt his line of thought.

“Yes, there is.”

Anakin let out a deep sigh, “I’m concerned about the virus. You saw yourself how easily Tup executed Tiplar. How widespread even is this?” 

Rex wasn’t surprised that the mystery behind Tup was bothering his General, as it was literally on the mind of every Clone. _What if they were to do the same?_

“Before I was ordered to leave, General Shaak Ti was overseeing a scan on Fives for signs of a virus. If he was also exposed, I’m sure we would have been made aware by now.” Rex responded, becoming slightly concerned at his own words. The possibility of it _not_ being a virus was far more scary, as it would mean Tup had another motive to kill a Jedi.

“Something still doesn’t add up though. Why would it only affect Tup?” Rex pondered out loud.

Anakin considered this for a moment. Rex made a valid point. Tup had been close to a lot of the Clones in his division. If he was to have spread the contagion, why wasn’t it affecting anyone else?

There was also the fact that Tup had gone missing for a few rotations, something that made Anakin feel uneasy. “Perhaps the Separatists did capture Tup and inject him with some kind of virus?” Anakin said.

“We didn’t have time to launch a full investigation into his disappearance, Sir, but it is possible.”

Before they could finish their conversation, General Tiplee and Commander Doom entered the command centre.

“General Skywalker.” Doom almost immediately said in a reverent tone. The Commander held a great amount of respect for the young Jedi after his heroics during the last battle, having witnessed him cutting through the droids with such ease and prowess.

“I assume we are still waiting for an update on Tup’s mental state.” Tiplee stated quietly as they both approached Anakin and Rex. Tiplee was still clearly shaken up from the events of the battle, and was struggling to hide how the loss of her sister was affecting her, something Anakin could sense through the force.

Anakin sighed and shook his head, “Yes, we’re still waiting for an update from Kamino.”

A short silence befell the group, all having mixed emotions and being exhausted from weeks of combat. 

“Well, I assigned a couple of squads to root out what remains of the droid presence here.” Doom stated as he broke the silence, “It seems Trench took most of his forces and retreated, as we have almost complete control of the station now.”

“ _Almost?_ ” Rex asked, a little concerned.

“There are a few pockets of fortified droids in some areas of the station, mostly cargo holds and smaller hangars. I might need some more men to take them out, as my squad is heavily depleted.” Doom asked both Rex and Anakin for permission. 

Anakin nodded almost immediately, “Very well, Rex can make the arrangements. The sooner we have control the sooner we can leave this place.” 

With that, both Rex and Doom left the command centre, leaving Anakin and Tiplee alone as they both observed the hangar below them. 

“Was all of _this_ worth it?” Tiplee asked, gaining a slightly confused stare from Anakin, “We lost so many and for what. An irrelevant shipyard.”

Anakin could feel her frustration, knowing full well that the cause was from the loss of her sister. Despite the code forbidding attachments, Anakin couldn’t fully understand why the sisters were never separated, as it in a sense went against the Jedi code.

“We couldn’t allow the Separatists access to a large construction yard like this. It would only escalate the war and casualties.” Anakin reasonded, despite knowing the Republic would only do the same thing. There was no way to avoid loss of life in a large, galactic war like this.

Judging by her lack of response, Anakin felt that he had to offer some kind of comfort, even if he didn’t really know the Mikkian very well. “I didn’t know your sister very well, but she seemed like a great leader and inspiration to follow. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“She’s one with the force now.” Tiplee said solemnly, “I just want answers.”

Anakin nodded. They all wanted answers right now.

“We should inform the Council of our progress. They will no doubt want to hear a full report.” Tiplee stated, starting to walk towards a holotable.

“Ah yes, _the Council_.” Anakin muttered with a slight hint of disgust. Tiplee either didn’t notice or chose not to respond, inputting the code for Coruscant.

It didn’t take long before the holographic High Council was before them, if you could even call it a Council anymore. As usual, Mace Windu and Yoda were present, as well as Saesee Tiin. The rest of the members were away. Anakin noticed that Obi-Wan was also still absent, which only made him more curious to what kind of assignment he had been set on.

“Knight Skywalker and Tiplee. Where is Knight Tiplar?” Mace asked, immediately noticing the absence of one of the former Jedi and fearing the worst.

“Knight Tiplar was lost during the battle.” Tiplee stated, trying not to be overcome by emotion, “She was killed by one of our Clones.”

A short silence followed, the tension rising dramatically. The report of a Clone killing a Jedi was most concerning.

“One of the Clones? A traitor?” Saesee Tiin asked, surprised at the revelation just like the other Jedi Masters.

“We’re not sure- we still need more information. We’ve sent the Clone, Tup, to Kamino to be scanned thoroughly. We believe it could be a virus, but we’re not certain of anything yet.” Anakin answered, giving Tiplee a moment to recover herself emotionally. 

“Concerning news, this is.” Yoda said slowly, looking between both Mace and Tiin, “If found a way to turn our men against us, Dooku has, devastating, it could be.”

“I’d suggest we all take more caution around the Clones until more information has been revealed. We will contact Master Shaak Ti on the status of the scans to see if they have made any progress.” Mace concluded.

“And what of your current progress? Have you managed to secure the station?” Saesee Tiin added.

“We are just rooting out the remaining droids now. Admiral Trench escaped with most of his forces, we were unable to intercept him in time.” Tiplee replied with a sombre tone.

“That is most unfortunate, his capture could have been critical to the war effort. But at least we now have the station secured. Good work, both of you should return to the Temple once the station is under control.” Mace said, checking with Yoda for approval. With a nod from the old Master, Mace looked back to Anakin and Tiplee, “Leave a small garrison to reinforce the station, we will discuss the events with the Clone trooper once you arrive at the temple.”

* * *

Rex and Doom walked down one of the many corridors of the Ringo Vinda station with a small squad of troopers. It was mostly made up of troops from Doom’s unit, but Rex had brought along a couple of Clones from the 501st for support.

They were fairly well armed, with mostly DC-15 rifles and a couple thermal detonators. The droids were dug in for defence, so they also brought a Z-6 rotary cannon if things started to get messy.

“So, what’s it like serving under General Skywalker?” Doom asked suddenly, breaking the silence they had been in for so long.

“General Skywalker makes use of some- uh, well, unconventional tactics.” Rex started, chuckling to himself at some of his memories during the war. “He’s a great leader and inspires the men, he’s saved my life many times.”

Rex then looked at Doom, “What about you?”

“General Tiplar was an inspiration too. I would have given my life to protect her if I could have.” Doom replied quietly as the group reached a large door. He signalled for one of his men, ‘Code’, to slice through the locked door.

“I respect General Tiplee just as much, but I think she will struggle to lead without her sister now.” Doom concluded, letting out a sigh, “I have no idea what will happen to the rest of us.”

“What do you mean by that?” Rex asked, a little confused.

“I’ve lost _almost all_ of my men, and one of my Generals. I failed them and so I’ve failed as a Commander.”

Rex placed his hand on Doom’s shoulder, giving it a slight shake, “Listen to me, you haven’t failed anyone. We all lost brothers, and you and your men valiantly held this station until reinforcements arrived. Without that, we would have lost control, and more men would have died trying to take it back!”

Doom didn’t answer, as he was still deep in thought. Would he be reassigned to another legion? Would they put him on maintenance duty? The possible scenarios frightened him, as he couldn’t imagine a life away from the battlefield. _It was all he knew._

“The loss of General Tiplar wasn’t your fault, and you won’t be held accountable for it. I’m sure we will have answers soon.”

“Sir, I’m almost through this door.” Code interrupted as he continued to slice through the panel.

Both Rex and Doom pulled out their DC-17 pistols, all Clones now prepared and aiming at the large door. Some of the Clones were able to take cover behind a couple of crates, however most of the corridor was open territory, making a prolonged firefight lethal.

Code continued to tap on his data pad, which was connected through multiple wires to the main control panel. “Got it!” he exclaimed, dropping the pad and picking up his blaster as he quickly ran over to the other Clones for cover.

The door slowly opened, revealing a small storage room and a handful of Battle Droids.

The Clones immediately opened fire, unleashing a sea of blue bolts towards the droids. A couple of the shots found their targets, knocking the B1’s to the ground.

The droids didn’t even have time to return fire, having been quickly gunned down by the Clones' precise firing. Doom signalled for his men to start moving forward, however, four Super Battle Droids emerged from the door, returning fire at the now exposed Clones.

“Look out!-” one of the green-armoured Clones managed before being shot down. The rest of the exposed Clones scrambled to cover, pressing up against the walls of the corridor for some protection from the heavy blaster fire.

“Salvo, give em heat!” Doom shouted over the sounds of blasters firing.

One of the Clones from Doom’s squad, decorated with green markings and a black kama around his waist, quickly stood out of cover with his rotary cannon, unleashing a wave of blue bolts towards the droids.

The Super Battle Droids were eventually overwhelmed by the blaster fire, soon dropping to the ground with a thud. 

He continued to shoot the fallen droids for a few moments, his emotions getting the better of him, before promptly ceasing fire at Doom’s command.

“How many did we lose?” Rex asked as the Clones started to move from their cover.

“We lost Crossfire.” Doom replied with a melancholic tone as he checked the body for a pulse.

“Storm’s dead too.” Doom’s medic, ‘Stim’, shouted as he turned over the lifeless body to reveal multiple blaster wounds across the chest.

“We need to keep moving, there’s still more areas to secure.” Rex spoke quietly after a short moment of silence as they all mourned the dead, “I will contact General Skywalker for some more reinforcements, and for someone to come and collect the fallen.”

Doom continued to stare at the two bodies for a short while, flashbacks playing in his head of battles long past. No matter how many times it happened, it was always hard to accept the loss of one of his men.

“Very well, let’s move to the next corridor.” Doom stated as he snapped back to reality.

There were still a dozen rooms to check, and he wasn’t sure if he could cope with losing any more brothers.

* * *

** CORUSCANT - LEVEL 1312 - 1312 POLICE STATION **

Obi-Wan slowly stepped outside the old police station, still unsatisfied with their progress. He had really expected to find at least _something._ But clearly whoever had removed the body of the Ithorian also took the time to swap the speeder bikes. 

It was the only possible scenario, as the speeder didn’t appear to be in a condition that was actually flyable. Not to mention the fact that the bike showed no DNA matches to _anything._ It was clear it had been swapped, but why?

He still had some hope however. Plo Koon had set off to the Ithorian’s bar in the hopes of finding some more evidence, or at least to ask his brother some questions. 

Still, something about this entire investigation made Obi-Wan feel uneasy. If someone in the Government was really behind all of this, there were only a few individuals who could do it in secret. As much as they could guess, the Jedi would have to act carefully in order to keep the trust of the Senate and the support of Palpatine.

He had contacted the Council too, who had allowed him to continue with his investigation and launch a search for more evidence. However, he would need to act fast as he would no doubt be required in battle again soon.

Obi-Wan was brought out of his thoughts due to his wrist communicator beeping once again. 

“I’ve arrived at the bar, and it does not look good.” came the concerned voice of Plo Koon.

“There is no sign of the Ithorian’s brother, and with the state of the bar it’s safe to assume he didn’t leave willingly.”

Obi-Wan sighed, “That’s not good. It seems someone is trying really hard to make this difficult for us.”

“I’m going to contact the Council, as I believe Master Quinlan Vos might be able to assist us here.” Plo Koon responded.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea-”

“His usage of psychometry will be most useful, and it could provide us with the lead we are looking for.” Plo Koon politely interrupted. Quinlan Vos definitely had a reputation for being a maverick, but they couldn’t pass on this opportunity.

“I see your point. I’m about to start a small search for the ship used at the dock, I will contact you if I find anything.” Obi-Wan said as he closed off the comm, only for it to start beeping again. ‘What could possibly be wrong now?’ he thought to himself as he continued to walk to a speeder.

“General Kenobi?” came the recognisable, gruff voice of Cody.

“Ah, Cody, what’s the situation?”

“Sir, we’re receiving a priority call from Commander Krennic. He’s been trying to reach you, Sir.”

“Put him through.” Obi-Wan replied as he jumped into the seat of a speeder.

There was a short silence, and Obi-Wan could already imagine that something had gone wrong. Why else would Krennic need to speak with him.

“Master Kenobi, do you read me?” Krennic’s somewhat distressed voice came through the communicator.

“I read you Commander, what’s-”

“We need immediate support!” Krennic interrupted, the communication line faltering, “We’re under attack- droids are- security breached-”

The communication was being jammed as the call came to a sudden close, but Obi-Wan knew exactly what was going on, and he needed to move quickly.

“Cody, ready the gunships fast! Send whatever you can to the Ministry of Science.” he almost shouted, readying the speeder and pulling away from the station.

“General, it will take time to prepare the men, but I will do what I can.”

“Contact the Council, have them coordinate a defence. We can’t let that facility be breached!” Obi-Wan replied as he pushed the controls forward to full throttle.

How had _droids_ launched an attack on the complex? There was no way they could have gotten past the Republic Fleet.

Obi-Wan knew one thing for certain however. He _could not_ let those crystals be captured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorrrry about not mentioning Ahsoka. I wanted to get some other things out of the way first, but Ahsoka and Jacen will be back next chapter. Also, the next chapter will have some action!
> 
> I thought it would be nice to give Doom some more 'screen time' as he was such a cool character, and I would like to try and get him more involved in the events of this story, but I guess we will see how things turn out first.
> 
> Also, looking back, I realised I made the mistake of having Aayla Secura on the Council, so I'm going to go back and change that. I'm also going to change the structure of the earlier chapters so there are more spaces in between text, so don't worry if you go back and things have changed! :)
> 
> Oh and we're almost at the whole Fives arc thing. I don't want to just re-tell the episode because that's boring. Instead, I might change bits of canon here and there to make things more exciting and unpredictable. I'm still deciding how AU I want to go with this, as the initial plan was just to re-write Ahsoka's story from leaving the temple - the siege of Mandalore, but I'm thinking of making a couple of changes now. Hope you guys don't mind.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! You are welcome to leave comments, reading them makes my day! :)
> 
> Oh and how do you like the new structure? I figured out how to use formatting, I think... :)


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